Chuck: Recalled to Life
by Grey Alchemist
Summary: Chuck comes home after eight years on the run and tries to reconnect with the life he left behind.
1. Chapter 1: Casey

_**Author's Note: **_Still stuck on the first story, but this one found its way out. Didn't take that long, but, just maybe, it'll be a good read. Also, didn't really edit it, so I hope it doesn't have a bunch of mistakes.

_**So:**_ Don't own Chuck. Not even a little bit.

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Casey

_Santa Monica Pier_

_Santa Monica, California_

_August 21, 2016_

_6:30 pm_

"Long time no see," spoke a gruff voice.

"Yeah, well. I've been busy. You know how it is," was the reply.

"Hmmm. So, why now? Why make it so easy?" started the tall slightly graying man. "You know, we had no idea where to even start looking until a few hours ago. And, after all this time, I know you're not that sloppy."

"Aw! Casey, is that a compliment?" asked the joking voice of Chuck Bartowski.

"Can it. I've been chasing you for eight years. The one time I get close to bringing you in, I end up in a grimy San Lorenzo hospital and with my leg in cast for four months. Now you're out in the open, just taking in the view like you don't have a care in the world. What gives?"

"I _am_ sorry about the leg, you know. I hope I didn't cause any permanent damage," Chuck said eying Casey's left leg. "But I was kinda mad at that point; what with the whole trying to _kill me_ thing and what not-Oh, you probably don't know this, but you missed me in Bangkok by five minutes. I even saw you go into the hotel," he said offering a satisfied smile.

"Seems to me like you got lucky; at least you learned a thing or two," countered Casey. "The last time we had anything on you was three years ago. We knew you were somewhere in Russia, just couldn't figure out where. You got real good at hiding your tracks."

"The Intersect helped. Finally the damned thing worked to my advantage," he said as he rested his arms on the pier railing and placed a foot on the lowest horizontal steel bar. Looking out into the ocean, he continued, "For the first year I was scared out of my mind. Expecting that any minute a team would show up and grab me."

"You're not the only one. We expected to find you on the first day you ran." Casey was still clearly annoyed that things hadn't worked out that way. "Still have no idea how you managed to escape so efficiently."

"Like you said: I learned a thing or two," his face turned serious. "Do you remember when we thought the Beta Intersect was coming online?" Casey's eye twitched. "Yeah, well. I thought the worst thing about that mess was that I was still the only Intersect and my relationship with Sarah was back to square one. But that wasn't it was it?" He saw Casey become uncomfortable. "Don't worry, water under the bridge. But I did find out about your orders shortly after. That was a wake up call."

"How'd you find out?"

"Doesn't matter; what matters is that if it happened once, there was nothing stopping it from happening again. So I began to plan, just in case." Chuck let out a long breath and continued, "Well, what do you know. One day, Sarah comes in telling me you guys have my dad at Castle and she's taking me to see him; only to then turn around and tell me that it's a trap to get me into a bunker and we had to run." Casey's just looking at him now. "I believed her when she told me about my dad. I thought I had him back. But after she told me the truth, I saw how easily and believably Sarah could lie to me. There was no way I was going to trust her after that. I told her I had to go to my locker to get the engagement ring I got back from Jill so we could sell it. She told me to hurry, and well, you know the rest."

"Urgh. That explains it. Walker never did know how to keep it in her pants when it came to the guys she worked with," he grumbled.

Chuck snickered. "That doesn't apply to me, Casey. She made it quite clear there was nothing between us. I think she just felt sorry for lil' ol' me."

"When did you get so cynical Bartowski?"

"_Eight years_, Casey. Things change."

"Walker certainly did. She became reckless after you left. Hell, she even uploaded a new version of the Intersect the tech geeks came up with, the 2.0 they called it." Surprise showed on Chuck's face. "Yeah; it was meant for Larkin, but the idiot went and got himself killed before he could upload it, so Walker decided to make its new home in her head. Stupidest idea she ever had." Casey shook his head with a scowl.

"What happened to her?" Chuck asked with concern. He didn't trust her, but he didn't want any harm to come to her either.

"She was fine the first three months. She was incredibly successful as an Intersect. This one actually gave her abilities on top of intelligence information. No one could touch her. We took Fulcrum down easily enough. She used it to try to find you. That's how we figured out San Lorenzo. She didn't tell us, to protect you, but we followed her and made our move before she did." Remembering his old partner was not fun for Casey. "But, shortly after that, she began to have problems with the flashes. The strain was becoming too much for her brain to handle and her motor functions began to deteriorate. By the time the geeks figured out a way to get it out, too much damage had been done." At Chuck's widening eyes, Casey growled, "Don't worry, moron. She was fine... for a civilian, but she was done as an agent. The Agency fired her, and that was the last I heard of her."

Chuck nodded his head. "I'm glad she was okay."

"Don't tell me, I don't care about what you're feeling. Enough about old times," he said curtly. "Why are you here? You had to know we would be coming. Beckman isn't going to let you go so easily, not with that thing still in your head, not while she can still use you."

Chuck smiled wide. "See, here's the thing about that. I know all that, and like you said, I'm not that sloppy. Truth is: I missed home. I missed Ellie and Devon, and Morgan. I've never even held my niece. It was time I came back."

"Ellie and Devon? C'mon! They think you're dead! You gotta do better than that, Bartowski," protested Casey.

"Wanna know a little secret?" he asked with a little twinkle in his eye. "You only _think_ they think I'm dead. I've been in touch with Ellie all this time. They know I'm alive and well. Hell, I've even gotten pictures of my niece over the years. How did you think I even knew I had one?"

"Impossible. We've monitored all their communications. We've never come across anything linking them to you," argued Casey.

"Electrical Engineering degree from Stanford plus Intersect, remember?" He said, tapping his head with his index finger. "Difficult, but not impossible. Which brings me to my next point: I don't care what Beckman wants. She can't use me anymore." Casey raised an eyebrow in question. "The Intersect's gone, out of my head. It took me years to figure out a way, but I did it."

"Oh, yeah? What's-"

"To stop you guys from forcing another one on me?" Chuck finished for him. "That's the reason it took years. Simply taking out the Intersect was relatively easy. Finding a way to keep one from being put back in, that was the tricky part. But as of last month, I'm read-only, baby." He pointed to his head again, "This brain is closed for business. Under lock and key, and I threw away the only key."

Casey growled. "I don't believe you."

"I don't care what you believe. The truth is no one can use me anymore," he said with a smirk. "Oh, and tell Beckman I wouldn't bother trying to take me against my will. I've taken other precautions. It won't end well for her or anyone else. She won't believe you, of course; but she'll have a sample of the proof tomorrow. I don't think she'll be bothering with me after that."

"Well played, Chuck."

"Thank you, Casey." He inhaled the ocean breeze deeply. "Now, I think I'm going return to my life and family and finally move forward. I still have time to make something of myself, don't you think? Maybe I'll look up Sarah and see how that goes. Don't be a stranger, John. Come visit sometime. We've been through too much together, and I've let go of all the resentment. I understand you were just following orders. You did save my life on multiple occasions. There's no one else either of us can talk to about our experiences, and it does help to talk."

"Scre-"

"Ha ha ha! That's what I thought you'd say. But I meant what I said. Whether you want to admit it or not, we're friends. Take care of yourself Colonel John Casey. I expect to be seeing you around." Chuck offered his hand.

As Casey took it to shake, Chuck pulled him into a one armed hug, bumping his shoulder. "Damn it, Chuck!"

"What can I say? Couldn't resist." A wide smile on his face as he shrugged.

"Ugh... I'll see you around, moron." The Colonel turned around and started to walk away.

"I _knew_ you liked me!" Casey abruptly stopped, mumbled something under his breath and resumed his stride.

Chuck looked out to the setting sun and for the first time in almost ten years, he felt free. Emotion overwhelmed him, and tears of pure, unadulterated joy made their way down his cheeks. Tomorrow, he would start his life anew. Today, he would revel in the fact that he'd finally made it out, alive.

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_**Author's Note:**_ Any good? Yeah? No? Meh? By the way, never been to San Lorenzo. Don't know the state of its hospitals; call that artistic liberty and not fact.


	2. Chapter 2: Beckman

_**Author's Note:**_ Well, I'm back. Turns out I _am_ expanding this story. Hopefully, those of you who expressed interest in reading more of it are still interested and will come along for the ride. If you read the first chapter before this update, you may have noticed some changes. I felt the original title to both this story and chapter 1 didn't work anymore, so I changed them. At this point, I'm thinking at least two more chapters. However, I can't comment on what the update time frame will be because unlike The First Seventy Two which saw updates every couple of days, this story is not yet written out all the way through. I don't know how the upcoming chapters will play out, so that will effect the time it takes to get them out. Of course, if no one wants to read this then I guess I can end it here. Anyway, for now, I hope you enjoy this one.

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Beckman

_Santa Monica, California_

_August 22, 2016_

Chuck woke up feeling more rested than he could ever remember feeling. After leaving the pier the night before, he got in his car and headed to the Third Street Promenade, choosing to eat dinner at one of the restaurants there. He settled on a place named FIG. It wasn't the fanciest establishment there, but for Chuck, it might as well have been the most exclusive place on Earth.

**-0-**

Looking over at the name of the place again, Chuck vaguely remembered that this particular restaurant had once been located inside some hotel nearby. When he was seated, he asked his waiter why it had moved. He was told that there had been a massive explosion a few years before at some building and the Fairmont Miramar had been collateral damage, too close by. Now the restaurant occupied the location of what used to be a California Pizza Kitchen. Chuck couldn't quite remember, but he had a nagging feeling that he had heard about that explosion somewhere before. As soon as he was handed his menu though, all thoughts of it were pushed aside as his eyes scanned the pages and all the available options for him to choose.

Life on the run did not allow for the most varied or indulgent of diets, it was always something out of a can or frozen box. On a lucky day, when money and circumstances smiled upon him, he might have what passed for a burger or pizza. Nowhere near as good as he wanted, but good enough to break the monotony. It was something different at least, and those chances he got, certainly in the beginning, helped keep the depression at bay. He had felt lonely not having his family and friends nearby, not being able to see them. It got so bad that, at one point, he actually missed the Buy More, Jeff and Lester included. He had never been away from his sister for so long without knowing if he'd ever see her again. That was the most depressing thing of all. Thankfully, when that changed and he did get to talk to her again, the depression wasn't as bad anymore. When he first ran, he'd done it out of fear with no real endgame in mind, he really hadn't thought about anything other than running and not getting thrown in a bunker. After he learned he was going to be an uncle, though, he had a new purpose: he was going to go back to his family, he was going to hold his niece or nephew. The government would not take this away from him. He was going to get back his life. If it was the last thing he did, he _would_ find a way.

"Sir, would you like something to drink?" The waiter interrupted Chuck's eager perusal of the menu.

"Yeah, do you have Coke?" Chuck looked up at the waiter expectantly.

"Yes, sir."

"I'll have a coke, lots of ice."

"I'll be right back with your drink." As the waiter walked away, Chuck resumed his pondering. A smile began to form across his face. This was the first time he would get to sit down and truly _enjoy _a meal. He was free to take his time without worry; well not completely, he still had to deal with Beckman, but this was close enough. Regardless of that, he would finally be able to consume some honest to goodness, made from scratch food. He could only describe the feeling he had as joy. When he realized how he was reacting to the situation, he shook his head and let out a small laugh. The last time that his biggest worry had been what to order off of a menu seemed like an entirely different lifetime ago. It was a foreign feeling to be back in that position again.

"Here you are." The waiter put Chuck's drink on the table and reached for his pad and pen. "Have you decided what you're having or do you need some more time?"

"No, I'm ready to order." Chuck knew exactly what this meal would consist of, and his mouth was practically watering with anticipation. "I'll have the twelve ounce New York Strip, well done, an order of fries," he wasn't about to call them _Pommes_ _Frites_ after his experience in France, no matter what the menu said, "and I'll give the bacon wrapped bacon a try." He finished, looking over at the waiter with a smile.

"Yes, sir," the waiter replied as he took the menu from Chuck.

Twenty minutes later, he returned with Chuck's order on a tray. "Here you go: steak... fries... bacon." Once he finished unloading the tray, he put it between his arm and side. He reached into a pocket on his apron, pulled out a bottle of steak sauce, and placed it on the table. He asked, "Anything else I can get you?"

"No, thank you. This is great."

"Okay, well. Just let me know if you need anything."

Chuck decided he had to try a bit of everything first. He grabbed a fry and took a bite. He closed his eyes in delight: it was crunchy, well seasoned, and warm. He ate the rest of the fry and cut a piece of his steak, lightly covering it with the sauce. He brought the fork with the piece of meat to his mouth and chewed. He let out a moan: the steak was juicy, tender, and flavorful, and the sauce tasted great. It was almost enough to make him cry, realizing he didn't have to eat bland re-heated food anymore. He moved on to the bacon wrapped bacon. As it turned out, there was more than bacon involved. It was a piece of bacon wrapped around a center of grouped pieces of avocado, what looked to be arugula, tomato, and the other piece of bacon, as suggested by the name. He took one of the bite-size concoctions and popped it into his mouth. Immediately, he thought that this was now one of his favorite foods, heart attack be damned. The cost of this meal would've made him choke in the past, but at that moment he couldn't care less. He was going to indulge himself, and after so long, it was definitely worth it. Chuck savored every bite he took, asking for a refill of his Coke three times, and so it was an hour later that he asked for his check and headed back to his hotel.

It was only nine-thirty when he reached his room, but he had a long day coming up and he needed to be fully rested. He was going to start piecing back together his relationship with Ellie and Devon, and he was going begin one with his niece. Chuck headed to the bathroom to wash up, turned on his security system, and then went straight to bed; the soft, welcoming bed that pulled him quickly into a deep slumber.

**-0-**

Chuck looked over to the little side table and picked up his phone. The screen read 9:17 am. He stretched out on the bed and let out a content groan: _Well, I guess it's time to get on with the day._ He showered, brushed his teeth, and ordered some breakfast. Since he checked in the previous afternoon, this was the first chance he got to sample the hotel's room service. Once he was done, there was no putting it off anymore. Even after ten years, that woman still intimidated the hell out of him. Chuck walked out to the balcony and took in the view of the ocean. It calmed the nervousness down a bit and allowed him to put things into perspective. He was already so far in; this call could only benefit him. He got out his phone and checked the time. _10:05, hmmm, probably at lunch... oh, well I'm going piss her off anyway_.He dialed.

**-0-**

General Beckman sat behind her desk in her office. She was not in a good mood. Casey had called her earlier and informed her of his encounter with Bartowski the day before. That angered her to no end; the _nerve _of that man. Where did he get off telling her what she could and couldn't do? It was clear Casey wasn't going to bring Bartowski in, now she had to call another agent in to finish the job. It's not like she needed Bartowski anymore, sure he was still the only subject with that high a retention rate, but that didn't matter. What _did_ matter was that Chuck Bartowski had made her look like a fool in front of her bosses and he was going to pay for that. When he ran, she assured her superiors that he was incompetent, had no training, and would be in a bunker within forty-eight hours. _That_ came back to bite her in the ass. It had now been _eight_ _years _and she had still to apprehend an asset that she had haughtily called an idiot. There were no more promotions coming to her in the future. The only reason she still had her job was because she was able to not only deliver more Intersect agents, but she brought down Fulcrum and the Ring. Well, she _took_ credit for the latter two anyway. Truth was, by the time Walker started her campaign against Fulcrum, there was barely anything left to dismantle. As for the Ring, they did most of the work for her. Sure she sent agents after the traitors, but by that time they were in complete disarray. After the fall of Fulcrum, the other factions turned against each other and started taking the others out. A man who was later identified as the Director of the Ring was found in his office with a bullet between the eyes during a raid on a suspected Ring facility. That meant that Agent Shaw had sacrificed himself for nothing when they blew up the Ring facility in Santa Monica, but he was an acceptable loss. Even the Ring Elders went into hiding when they couldn't hold their agents together. She never found out the identities of the Elders, but that didn't much matter. They had targets on their backs now, the chances of them trying to rebuild were negligible. The General was curious as to what happened to cause the sudden unraveling of an organization the likes of the Ring, but not curious enough to look into it. She had more pressing matters. No one made her look like a fool and got away with it.

She was about to pick up her phone, when the ringing started. She looked at it and saw that it wasn't coming from her office phone. The only other phone near her was her personal one, so she reached into her pocket. The ringing was definitely coming from her cell phone, but when she checked to see who it was, the screen didn't register anything but her normal background. She hated technology, any form of it, never worked the way it was supposed to. She would have to get it fixed later, but she pressed the green _SEND_ button on her phone and put it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Diane! It's been a while, how have you been?" The voice on the other end seemed oddly familiar but not immediately recognizable.

"Who is this?" She asked curtly.

"Oh, general... you wound me. I know it's been eight years, but I had hoped you'd remember your old pal Chuck." The voice of Chuck Bartowski was taunting her. "I mean, you _have_ spent countless resources trying to find me and yet when I come calling, you act like you have no idea who I am. How am I supposed to take that?"

"_Bartowski_," growled General Beckman, "you may have fooled Casey but you don't fool me, when I get my hands on you, you will regret this little stunt," and she hung up, slamming the phone into the desk.

The phone rang again. And again. And again. She turned it off, and reached for her desk phone to call her secretary. It was time to bring Bartowski in, once and for all. Just as she was dialing, her monitor's screen went black and words started flashing dead center: _Answer_ _Your_ _Phone_ _DIANE. You'll Regret It If You Don't. I PROMISE._

She wasn't one to intimidate easily, but Bartowski had just hacked into the NSA's network and no security breaches had been detected. That was something to pay heed to; she couldn't afford any more slip ups. She grabbed her cell and turned it on to find it ringing.

"You have just committed an act of treason; I'm going to have you-"

"Cut the crap Diane. You're going to nothing." His tone was now deadly serious. "Don't hang up on me again. You won't like what happens."

General Beckman had never heard Bartowski talk like this, it was unsettling but she wasn't going to let that show, especially to her former asset. "What do you want Bartowski? Come begging for forgiveness?" She growled out.

He let out a humorless laugh. "Forgiveness? Diane, when did you get to be so funny?" The general growled. "No, I told Casey I'd be giving some proof, now I'm delivering."

"I'm coming for you, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"Yeah, Alex said you'd say that." Beckman's eyes widened. That name was highly classified, and she knew Casey would never divulge that information voluntarily. "Hey, Diane? Still there?"

"I don't know who you're talking about."

"Good for you, Diane. Deny, deny, deny. No matter," the taunting tone was back in full force. "See, I know the little precarious situation you find yourself in. How would your bosses react if it got out that they knowingly sanctioned the forced catastrophic debilitation of US citizens? Now of course, your agents weren't really _forced _and your bosses didn't really _know_, but that's how it'll play in the media..." Beckman was speechless. She had done everything possible to ensure the side effects of the Intersect were kept quiet. She had officially written up Walker as unfit for the download and emphasized that she was never a candidate. She had compartmentalized all information regarding how many agents were given the download. She was the only one who knew the true number, and only her most trusted scientists were allowed to deal with the burn outs. _How the hell did Bartowski find out?_ "What do you think they'll do to you when they realize that you lied to them? That because of _you_ they'll be crucified before Congressional Hearing Committees? If there's one good thing about politicians wanting to cover their asses, it's that I can use them to burn anyone else just as easily as I can burn you."

A chill traveled down her spine as she listened to what Bartowski was saying. If any of this got out, she would never be heard from again. She knew Bartowski had her but she wasn't ready to go down just yet. "What about Fulcrum? They don't care about politicians. They won't stop coming after you Bartowski. If you knew what was good for you, you'd come in willingly."

"Nice try, Diane. Casey told me about Fulcrum. Not that I didn't already know. Oh, I know about the Ring too, so no use bringing them up. Actually, I bet I know something you don't."

"What would that be?"

"The Elders' identities."

"You're lying," she protested. There was no way he knew when she didn't.

"No, I'm not; and I have my ways of dealing with them. They're not too popular with those Ring agents you didn't manage to snag, you know. I don't think they'll be giving me any trouble if they know what's good for them. Do _you_?" And with that, he hung up and it was as if the call had never happened. There was no record of it on her phone, and she suspected there would be no record of it with the phone company if she checked. Chuck Bartowski had changed, and it pissed her off that he had played her so well. It was over, she didn't need this, nor did she want to run the risk. Retirement was looking very inviting right now. She would get out and let someone else deal with cleaning up the whole mess, she had done her job.

**-0-**

Chuck fell back onto his bed and let out a deep breath. That conversation had been nerve-wracking. It took all he had to keep it together and keep pressing forward, but it seemed like he had gotten his point across. After the revelation about the Intersect, he doubted if he ever heard the name Diane Beckman again, let alone _General_ Diane Beckman. He felt sorry for the agents that had gone insane because of the Intersect but they no doubt knew what they were doing. Each one was probably arrogant enough to think they would be the one to beat the Intersect; he was sure Bryce would've thought it. They would've never accepted that there was no way to beat it. Hell, if it wasn't for his Governor, even he would succumb to the strain eventually. That's why he feared the worst when Casey told him Sarah had downloaded the 2.0. That version attacked the brain even faster than the original; he imagined she was locked up in some mental institution somewhere. Now that he knew she had looked for him behind the government's back, maybe there was still a chance for them. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about Sarah Walker after all this time, that wasn't even her real name for crying out loud. He knew next to nothing about her. If they were to have a chance at something real, they had a lot to talk about, and he wouldn't stand for anything less than the truth. Of course, first he would have to look for her and find out whether she wanted to be with him. Maybe she was already taken.

Either way, that could wait. Today, his priority was his family. So, he put his phone in his pocket, got up off the bed, and started to pack up what little belongings he had with him. It was time for Chuck Bartowski to head home.

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_**Author's Note:**_ Dude... _BACON_ _WRAPPED_ _BACON_! I didn't even know that was a real thing until I wrote this chapter (research, go figure), but now I _really_ want to try it 'cause how is that not the best thing you've ever heard of? Also, nothing to do with this story, but fried Kool-Aid? How in the hell did someone think that up?

I had no plan for this and I still don't, I'm making it up as I go along, though I have a general idea of some points I want to address. If you have any ideas, let me know.


	3. Chapter 3: Remembrance

_**Author's Note:**_ Okay, I didn't think I'd be updating this soon. But, inspiration hit and I was really excited about this chapter. Of course, just 'cause I'm excited about it doesn't make it good, but I'm giving it to you anyway. This isn't one of the two chapters I mentioned in chapter 2 that I had in mind, so those two are still coming up... and they're still not written.

**_Author's Note II:_** I forgot to say: Thank you all for the reviews and encouragement. It means a lot to me that you like what I've written.

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Remembrance

_Interstate 405 N, West Los Angeles, CA_

_August 22, 2016_

Chuck got on the 10 freeway heading west. He had merged onto the 405 north and he was now making his way to the 101. He kept readjusting his hands on the steering wheel: he was nervous about seeing his family again. Looking at the mountains rising all around him in that corridor, he started feeling nostalgic. He'd seen The Getty Center a few minutes back looking unchanged after all this time, and now the brush and greenery growing on the side of the mountains made him think back to the times he and Ellie would make their way to the beach using this very route. It had been so long since he'd been any place that was familiar to him, and now he was heading back into the San Fernando Valley. The short trip down memory lane and the prospect of happy times ahead made him think back to just how close he came to never having this opportunity.

**-0-**

_Approximately three months after running..._

Chuck found himself in the port city of San Lorenzo, Honduras. When he first ran he knew he had to head south. It was his best chance at evading the NSA and the CIA. The instability and corruption running rampant throughout South America meant that records of his presence or activity would be hard to get. Even when dealing with friendly governments, they would be hard pressed for information as long as he stayed in the smaller towns. No cameras, no major security posts; that would suit him well. Plus, any American looking for him would stand out like a sore thumb. The locals would probably think them tourists, but he would be able to tell the difference thanks to the Intersect.

Chuck also knew that they'd have the US/Mexico border locked down heading into Tijuana. Instead he got into the car he had just purchased and made his way to Arizona. He knew that the border towns there had been having trouble with violence courtesy of the Mexican cartels fighting their drug war and if he had a chance to slip into Mexico successfully, it would be through there. His destination was a ten hour drive away but he just had to last the five hours to the California/Arizona border, once he crossed that, the first part of his plan would be complete and a huge weight would be lifted. Hopefully, he had enough lead time over Sarah and Casey that by the time they figured out he wasn't heading immediately south or north, he would be long gone. Only then would he have a fighting chance of evading the bunker, or maybe even a bullet at this point. He didn't want to find out which.

**-0-**

Nogales, Arizona had been the town with the most trouble and he figured the resident Minutemen would be too busy trying to keep people from coming in, they wouldn't be on the lookout for someone trying to get out. Once he got into town, he ditched the car he had been driving and set off in search of the local group and offered to come with them on patrol, spouting rhetoric about how the government wouldn't act so the people had to. They bought it, and that night he found himself driving one of their trucks along a stretch of border that was undermanned by the US Border Patrol. Stealing one of their trucks would be easier than he had anticipated. There were only two others in the truck he was driving: one in the passenger seat next to him, and another taking video in the flatbed. When they made a stop for the other two to "relieve" themselves Chuck stayed behind in the truck. As soon as they were far enough not to reach him in time, he sped off across the border and didn't look back or stop for the next 12 hours. He was tired and his nerves were eating at him, but he was in Mexico. He had made it. He allowed a smile to cross his face before he realized... he had no clue where he was. Worse yet, he didn't speak the language. He really should've paid more attention in Spanish class. His plan to stay hidden in smaller towns didn't seem as feasible now. The adrenaline he had been feeling for the last day was wearing off, and the seriousness of what he had done started to overwhelm him. It all seemed too much, how the hell was he going to do this? He was alone; he didn't know what he was doing. He was up against _professional_ _spies,_ why did he ever expect to be able to outrun them?

Chuck started to hyperventilate. He was freaking out. He quickly pulled off to the side of the sparsely traveled road and jumped out of the truck clutching his stomach. He started to quickly pace to and fro, hunched over, as thoughts ran wild in his head. He worked himself into such a frenzy he finally fell to his knees and hands and vomited all over the side of the road. If nothing else, that helped him regain control. Wiping his forearm across his mouth, he started to breathe easier and calm down.

Chuck moved into a sitting position with his legs leveraged against the pavement and his arms supporting him on either side. Breathing deeply in and out, he started thinking rationally again. He had run. That was the right choice, if he hadn't he'd be in a bunker. Now, it was time to suck it up and keep moving. If he failed he would have no one to blame but himself. After a few more moments Chuck stood up, got back into the truck and pulled back onto the road. It may turn out to be harder than he originally thought but he would find a way to make it work. He had to; for his sake.

**-0-**

The first month had been hard. He had kept mostly to himself, and only ventured out of his room in whichever little rundown hostel he happened to find himself in when he needed supplies. Not speaking the local language was a definite hindrance, having cash along with him though, smoothed things a great deal since it meant he didn't have to do much talking. At the end of that first thirty days, he found a surprise waiting for him when he got back to the room he was occupying. It was a pair of dark sunglasses sitting on his bed with a little note that read: _I hope this helps. I'm sorry I can't give you more just yet, but I'm proud of you, Charles_. _Don't give up. _Beneath the note was a roll of cash. It was much needed and very welcome. He was fast running out, and he didn't know what he'd do once he did. Not being able to properly communicate made it difficult to know whether he was being overcharged or not, but he needed what he'd bought.

When his emotions got to be too much, Chuck began to cry as he clutched the glasses. He had missed his family so much over the weeks, and he had been so afraid, scanning the crowd and looking over his shoulder all the time, not wanting anyone to get the drop on him. It felt great to be reminded that he had people who cared about him out there; better yet, it felt great to know his dad was still alive, and able to at least move around freely enough to get the sunglasses to him. Had it been anyone else, they would've taken him already. He trusted his dad, so he placed the glasses over his eyes and let the program run its course. As he found out when he checked out the next day, the update contained a language pack. After listening to a few words the manager spoke, the Intersect engaged and loaded Spanish into Chuck's language bank. _Thank you dad! This is going to make things so much easier_, thought Chuck with a big smile on his face, "Muchas gracias. Hasta luego, senora."*

The woman's eyes went wide; she had thought the American didn't speak a word of Spanish, and yet here he was speaking with no notable accent at all. Chuck walked out paying her no mind.

**-0-**

In the subsequent weeks and months, Chuck had made his way further south, never staying in one place for long. By the time he strolled into San Lorenzo, he had developed a makeshift security system for the various rooms he would occupy. It was easy to find components for it since it mostly employed anything that could be used to slow pursuers down and warn him if anyone tried to break into his room without his knowing. He couldn't take much with him, so he depended on readily available objects where ever he was. His dad's words had stayed with him the whole time, and they kept motivating him onward.

This time around, he had found some abandoned cinder blocks, some deflated tires, a fishing net, and a bell. He tied one end of a string to the end of the bell and draped it over a screw he screwed into the wall above the door, and then tied the other end of the string onto a screw he had screwed into the door near the top. The tension he put on the string made it so the slightest movement of the door would set off the bell, alerting him to intruders.

Chuck took a room towards the back of the building on the second floor. He had tied a rope near the window so he could escape that way if need be. He had just enough rope to grab on to the end of it and jump out the window, leaving him with a two foot drop. The impact against the wall from the initial jump was something he hoped he wouldn't have to experience, but in an emergency every second he could get counted. He took the tires and stacked them half an inch away from the door, leaving a little room for the bell to work. They were sturdy enough to be able to hold the door should they try to break it down, giving him a chance to escape. As a final precaution, he had secured the net onto the ceiling immediately in front of the door and placed the cinder blocks inside the net. With a pull of a piece of rope, they would come crashing down on anyone unlucky enough to be underneath them at the time.

Being in a port city, he had been able to work out a deal with a retiring shrimp fisherman for a shrimping boat. The older man had even agreed to give him a couple of lessons. It was nothing spectacular but it would do in a pinch. He would be able to make his way out of Honduras and into Nicaragua. The agents after him may have cars, but he doubted they had boats at the ready.

**-0-**

Chuck stood over his hotplate, in his small room, stirring yet another can's worth of chicken soup. It's not that it tasted bad, he had actually enjoyed the taste the first couple of times he'd had it, but after eating it so constantly, it became a chore to do so. Suddenly, he heard the ringing of the bell right before the sound of the door cracking open reached his ears. The tires gave way about a foot from the impact of the battering ram that had been smashed into the door. Chuck stood frozen for a second, but as soon as he saw the first two agents force their way through the door with guns drawn, followed by a scowling John Casey, he jumped to the first rope, gave it a yank, and didn't wait to see if the blocks did their jobs. "Bartowski!" He quickly turned, grabbed the second rope, and hurled himself out the window. His mind was in a panic and didn't register that he was hurdling through the air until the wind was knocked out of him when he smashed against the side of the building. He fell to the ground on his side and let out a pained groan. Hearing the shouts of Casey coming from above, he pushed himself up off the ground and took off running to his 1970s era VW Beetle parked in front of the building. He jumped into the car and took off towards the docks. Looking in the mirror, he didn't see the agents exist the building yet, with any luck they hadn't seen him get into his car. He would head to Nicaragua; there he would decide his next move. South was an option, but only as far as Panama, he didn't want to wander into Colombia, he thought it too dangerous. The Cayman Islands maybe or he could try for Europe somewhere. Language was no longer a concern, only his ability to hide. But first... he had to get the hell out of Honduras. With his heart trying to pump its way out of his chest, he lifted a hand from the steering wheel to wipe over his face, only to see the wild shaking that had overtaken it.

**-0-**

_US Route 101 N_

_August 22, 2016_

Chuck took his right hand off the steering wheel and looked it over: it was steady as could be. A slight smile shone through at the memories, before he turned his attention back to the road. He was now on the 101, and his exit was coming up. He veered his car to the right-most lane and slowed down to take his exit. He was in Encino, and in a matter of minutes, he would be pulling up to a house that had not been _home_ since he was a teenager.

* * *

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_**Author's Note:**_ I realized as I read over this chapter that there really wasn't any dialogue, I hope you don't mind.

*This is what Chuck said: "Thank you, very much. Goodbye, ma'am." It's not a literal translation because that wouldn't make sense in English.

Next time: Chuck reunites with his family... for real, this time.


	4. Chapter 4: Ellie

_**Author's Note:**_ I got done writing this chapter faster than I thought I would. So, for your perusal, here's chapter 4...

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

Ellie

_Woodcomb Residence_

_Encino, California_

_August 22, 2016_

Chuck pulled up to the single story house that had been his childhood home. It held so many memories, both good and bad. He parked his car and after a few moments of letting his mind wander in the past, he got out.

Anxiously, he started making his way up to the door. The last time he had been here his family had fallen apart and he only had Ellie to rely upon. This time around, his family would be coming together again, bigger and better than it had been before. This time they would get it right, this time they would fight to stay together. Clara would never have to experience what it felt like to be abandoned by her parents, her uncle, her grandparents... she, and any other children that might come along, would have the best childhood the Bartowski's could give.

When Chuck reached the door, he paused for a moment. He wasn't sure how he would greet Ellie. Sure he had talked to her often enough, but he hadn't actually been in the same space as her in years. Could they still be as close as they had once been? Would their first meeting in so long be full of awkward moments? He had told Ellie a lot of what he had been through, but not everything. There were things he had left out, for her piece of mind. She had her own happy family and a great career. She had escaped what he had taken to calling the "Bartowski Curse." She didn't need to be burdened by the walking disaster that was the rest of her family. Chuck knew she still loved him, but he wasn't the same brother she knew anymore, he couldn't be. Surely she had changed too. It might mean that they would have to get to know each other again, but in the grand scheme of things, that was a small hurdle.

He took a deep, calming breath and knocked on the door. He brought his hand back down to his side, and waited for an answer.

A few seconds later the door swung open and there, in front of him, stood Ellie. Before he could say or do anything, she threw her arms around his neck and started squeezing with all she had. "Chuck! Oh my god! You're here!" She kept her vice-like hold on him. "I missed you so much!" She said with a cracking voice and tears running down her face.

Through a strangled voice, Chuck called out, "El-Ellie... can't breathe..."

She let go and pulled back smiling. Wiping her tears she said, "Sorry, sorry. I'm just so happy."

"Me too, El." He said smiling. "I can't believe I'm finally here."

"Oh! Come in!" Ellie stood aside to let him through. "Let's get inside."

"Wow, this place looks great." Chuck glanced around the living room. Even though he could recall every detail of what the place used to look like when he lived there, there was no mistaking that it was now Ellie and Devon's home. Pictures of them and Clara doing different things were up on the walls, on the fireplace mantle, and on the shelves of the old entertainment system set up. There was even one of Clara harnessed in, climbing a miniature rock climbing wall at a fun center somewhere. That brought a smile to Chuck's face. She was clearly an Awesome. He also felt a pang of regret, he had missed so much.

Ellie closed the door behind them and said, "Thank you. It took me and Devon some time to redecorate." There was a new coat of paint, carpet instead of the wood floors, completely new furniture, and the 72 inch TV that had been the source of an argument between the two of them.

"Hey, where _is_ Devon? And Clara? I'm dying to meet my little niece."

"Oh, they're not here right now. Devon took Clara to the park so I could get everything ready for when you and dad got here. I worked on your rooms all morning and now I'm just finishing up with the cooking. Don't worry; you won't have to wait long. They should be back in a little while." Then she finally noticed who was missing and asked, "Chuck... where is dad? I thought you two were coming together?"

A grin came over Chuck's face as he replied, "Actually, I haven't seen dad in a month. He took off after we finally cracked the programming. He's coming later. We both felt really bad about missing your wedding and not being able to send you a gift, so he went to Russia to pick something very special up for you."

"Chuck, he didn't need to do that. I completely get why you guys couldn't be there."

"Trust me, El. You are going to love this present." He responded with the grin still plastered on his face.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Whatever... as long as he's definitely coming?"

"He wouldn't miss this for the world; he's more excited about meeting Clara than I am. She's his first grandkid, after all."

"Okay, then. Hey, I hope you don't mind, but I invited Morgan over, he doesn't know you're going to be here but I just thought we should include him. Besides, Clara loves him. He can watch her while we talk." She said as she moved them to sit on the couch.

He sighed, "It's fine, I guess. I mean it's not like I don't want to see him, but he doesn't know about all of this, and I don't feel like explaining just yet. I thought today would be just us and tomorrow I would catch up with him."

"Do you want me to call him and cancel?"

"No, it's okay. Let him come. What time did you tell him?"

"Eight."

"Yeah, that's enough time for us to catch up some."

She took his hand and started, "God, Chuck. I can't believe you're here." A slightly worried look came over her face. "So, everything is okay now? No one is chasing you anymore?"

Chuck' voice took on a soothing tone as he gave her hand a small squeeze, "Don't worry El. It's all over. No one is going to be bothering us from here on out."

"How can you be sure? What about the surveillance? They'll know you're here."

He smirked slightly while pulling out a small device, "See the green light?" At her nod, he continued, "Knocks out all of it. They won't be eavesdropping on you anymore. And, I wouldn't worry about anyone showing up. Dad and I have taken care of everything. There might be one or two hardheaded idiots out there that might try something, but we'll deal with them."

"Chuck... you and dad, what you've been through, it all seems like too much. I don't know if I would've been able to deal with it, if it happened to me, how have you dealt with it?"

A forlorn look overtook his face as he exhaled dully. "Not very well, I'm afraid. Honestly, Ellie, it all _has_ been too much. You've seen how dad is; he's on the look out all the time, to the point of being paranoid. He's much better now, but when we first met up, you would've thought he was crazy." He shook his head. "And, I'm not much better myself. Not as bad, but I've changed Ellie... and not for the better. I was alone for a year, I knew dad was alive early on, but I still didn't have anyone right there with me to keep me grounded. Have your own government out to get you, chasing you all over the world, and that goes a long way in helping you develop a good dose of paranoia."

Ellie finally took an appraising look at her brother and saw the weary countenance clearly etched on him. He wouldn't have to run anymore, but he had a long way to go to recover from his ordeal, and that pained her to no end because she knew there was nothing she could really do to speed up the process. She cast her gaze to the floor and growled out, "I hate that woman for what she did to you; that bastard Casey, too and the government. The worst of all, though, is Bryce Larkin. I wish he was here so I could pay him back for ruining your life... _twice_."

Chuck sighed resignedly; he knew they'd have to talk about this sooner or later. Better to do it while they were alone. He put a hand over hers so she would look at him. "Ellie... stop. Bryce is dead. He was killed not long after I left. I can't say that I'll ever completely forgive him for what he did, but in his own way, he was trying to help. It doesn't matter now anyway, he's gone. No sense in dwelling."

"Huh... I suppose I can't speak ill of the dead," she conceded.

"Now, about Sarah and Casey-"

"No, Chuck. Don't go there." She quickly cut him off.

"Ellie, listen to me."

"No way; I will _not_ listen to you defend them."

"Ellie, you wanted to know, so shut up and listen." Her eyes widened, it was enough to surprise her into acquiescing to his demand. "Good. Now, as I was saying: Sarah and Casey. Don't judge them too harshly. I can't say I'm happy about a lot of what they did, but after everything I've been through, I've learned to let go of the bad feelings. Casey was just doing his job, he's a soldier. He follows orders. It took me a while to understand that. He saved my life plenty of times because those were his orders, and I was glad to have him as a protector; I can't then turn around and be angry at him for following orders I don't like. How hypocritical would that be?" He gave her a questioning look, but she said nothing. "Besides, he and I have come to an understanding of sorts. He's not that bad once you figure out how to deal with him." He gave her a small smile at that.

"Okay, Chuck. I hope you really know what you're talking about, but I wouldn't be surprised if he came busting through the door at any moment," She relented.

"Good, now, on to Sarah."

"Chuck, that woman lied to me for two years and broke your heart! And that isn't even her _real_ name! You really expect me to be good with that?"

"No. But there are some things you don't know." He waited until he had her undivided attention again. "Just like Casey, Sarah saved my life over and over. If it wasn't for both of them, I wouldn't be alive right now. That being said, she was different." He continued at Ellie's inquisitive stare. "Sarah and I... I know we used to say it was complicated but it didn't dawn on me just how complicated it really was until much later. I started falling for her from the moment I saw her, but what guy wouldn't? She, I'm pretty sure, did start having feelings for me eventually. But she couldn't act on those feelings because her job wouldn't allow it-"

"That's a pretty stupid reason," Ellie mumbled.

He let out an amused chuckle. "That's what I used to think, because I didn't understand. Even though she would not admit, explicitly, to having feelings for me, I've realized everything she did was to protect me because she cared. She was always looking out for me. She said that if anything happened between us, she would be reassigned and we'd never see each other again. What she didn't say was that if she wasn't there with me, there would be nothing stopping her bosses from throwing me in an underground bunker. After being closed off for so long, it was the only way she knew in which to express herself. She kept me with my family and I'll always be grateful for that, you should be too. And towards the end there, I think she might have even been ready to finally give us a chance. But I panicked when she told me what they were planning to do and that we had to run, so I left her behind because dad's warnings got the best of me. I ignored everything she'd done for me, and I screwed everything up. We never could seem to get it right." He finished, smiling regretfully.

"Oh, Chuck. I'm so sorry." She took hold of his hand and held it reassuringly. She felt so bad for her brother. He had been through so much. More than she would have ever wanted for him. It broke her heart because she had genuinely liked Sarah and thought she was good for Chuck, up until she found out who she really was, that is. Hearing her brother speak, she was grateful to have found Devon... and that he hadn't turned out to be some sort of spy using her to maintain some cover.

"It's okay, El. I've learned to live with it. Sarah kept telling me why we couldn't be together and I kept choosing not to listen. It hurt at the time, when she would shoot me down, but it seems to me like my persistence paid off eventually, even if I didn't get to benefit from it." Brightening up, he said, "Things are different now. I was actually even thinking about-"

Chuck didn't get to finish that sentence because at precisely that moment, the front door burst open and a bundle of entangled limbs went flying through, landing on the floor. Chuck and Ellie both sat in stunned silence, not believing the scene playing out in front of their eyes. Finally, they were able to break out of their stupor and Chuck spoke, still confused, "Casey?"

There were some grunts, and then Chuck heard...

"Damn it, Walker! What the hell is wrong with you!"

Immediately, his attention was drawn to the mop of blonde hair flailing about on top of Casey. Chuck's eyes widened as realization hit...

"Sarah?"

* * *

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_**Author's Note:**_ A little bit of a heads up. While I was writing this chapter, and planning for the rest, I came to a conclusion. I think Orion is one of the best characters on _Chuck._ Early on in his arc there was a lot of mystery surrounding him; I thought that was really cool. I think I've had Orion pull off some cool things in this story that you know or will know of by the end (the fall of Fulcrum and the Ring, for example), and I was fully prepared to explain how he did all that in flashbacks. But now, I'm not going to do that. I want there to be some mystery left about him, at least in this story. I will go over his escape from Black Rock, but that's probably about it.


	5. Chapter 5: Muddled

_**Author's Note:**_ I tried to write this chapter on Friday, but I was bored out of my mind. I couldn't put a sentence together. I had to wait 'til Sunday. Some of you have been waiting for it, so, next chapter: Chuck, Sarah, and all their drama. In the meantime, here is chapter 5...

* * *

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Muddled

Casey was not having a good day so far. He had already been chewed out by Beckman during that first phone call when he told her all about his encounter with Bartowski. He'd put it off as long as he could because he knew what her reaction would be, but this morning he decided it'd been long enough, so he bit the bullet.

"He said _what!_"

"Yes, general. He also said that you shouldn't bother trying to take him because he's taken precautions and he has proof."

"He thinks he can tell me what to do?" She spat out. "And what were you doing _colonel_? I sent you there to take Bartowski, not buddy up with your old asset!" Casey cringed. "Did you follow him?"

"No ma'am."

"Did you plant trackers on him?"

"No ma'am."

"Did you do _anything_?"

"No ma'am. I thought I'd wait for you to see Bartowski's proof and decide how you want to proceed before I made another move."

"I don't care _what_ his proof is! I'm bringing him in and you'll be lucky if I don't boot your ass straight to the Kremlin when this is done. I know how much you and the Russians like each other." She quickly hung up.

He did not enjoy being yelled at by that woman. He had respected her when he first started serving under her command but this thing with Bartowski had gone far beyond the call of duty. This was now personal, and John Casey did not approve of using government resources to settle personal scores, he also didn't appreciate being threatened. For now, though, he would have to let it go. Hopefully, whatever Bartowski had up his sleeve would get Beckman to finally let this thing go so he could move past this assignment.

Not forty-five minutes later, Beckman was calling again.

_What's she want now?_. "General?"

"Not for much longer, just like you won't be a colonel for much longer either."

"Excuse me?"

"Your services are no longer required. You are hereby honorably discharged colonel. Your country thanks you for your service, John." With those parting words, the call was over.

Casey tried to call the general back but didn't get an answer; he moved on to her secretary. "This is Colonel Casey; patch me through to the general."

"Ah, Colonel Casey, yes; General Beckman left instructions. Where would you like your benefits to be sent?"

"What?"

"Your retirement package? Where should we send the paperwork?"

"Retirement? Is that what she's calling it?" He growled out. "I'll get back to you."

"Very well, sir."

Casey was _pissed_. What the hell had happened between the two calls with Beckman? How in the hell had he ended up losing his job? It wasn't that he particularly cared for keeping his job anymore; its appeal had worn off over the past few years. But, _damn_ _it,_ this was not the way he wanted to leave. Forced into retirement? He deserved better than that after everything he'd given for his country.

He had an idea of who could give him some answers and where he'd be. Casey knew Chuck would show up sooner or later, and now he had nothing but time. He grabbed his jacket and keys, and stormed out of his room.

Casey knew the car parked in front of the Woodcomb home didn't belong to either Ellie or Devon, or any of their friends. Chuck was already inside. He wouldn't have to wait around. He left his Vic, and stomped his way to the front door.

Before he could knock on the door, he heard someone coming up behind him... fast. He turned and saw Walker racing towards him. _Ah... hell._ What was she doing here? Was she seriously going to try to take him on? Casey didn't want to deal with her crazy ass right now. "Walker?" She didn't stop. "What the hell are you doing?" No answer. _Crap_...

She leapt towards him and his only choice was to restrain her before she could do anything stupid. He wrapped his arms around her as she crashed into him and their momentum drove them straight into the door. Next thing he knew, they were on the floor. She was struggling to free herself and he was having a hard time keeping his hold. She was stronger than the last time he'd seen her.

"Casey?" He ignored Chuck's question.

"Damn it, Walker! What the hell is wrong with you!" He wouldn't be able to hang on much longer.

"Sarah?" Casey felt Sarah go rigid as she finally registered the sound of Chuck's voice and he loosened his grip. _Well, at least the idiot's good for something_.

He watched her head snap up and she breathed out, "Chuck..." _Ugh..._ _here we go_ _with the feelings._ Casey rolled his eyes.

**-0-**

Sarah Walker sat in her car, intently watching the Woodcomb residence from down the street. It had become somewhat of a habit during the past three years, after all news of Chuck had stopped coming in from her agency contacts. Sarah knew with the propagation of Intersect agents and the destruction of the Ring, the government didn't really care about what essentially amounted to an obsolete computer. A walking, talking computer, but obsolete, nonetheless. All the information in the original Intersect was now outdated and of use to no one. Charles Bartowski didn't rate high enough to be on anyone's radar, except for General Diane Beckman's, that is. Sarah knew there was still a hunt on for Chuck coming out of the NSA, specifically, the general's office. She was out for revenge, and Sarah didn't put it past her to come after Ellie and Devon if she got desperate enough. That's why she had taken it upon herself to keep an eye on them. It was the least she could do, she thought, after failing so miserably in her mission with Chuck. Usually, she would stop by an hour before she had to get to work and make sure that nothing had changed, that they weren't in any danger. A smaller, but not insignificant part of her, though, hoped there was a chance that Chuck would contact his family, maybe even show up at some point; and, as much as she berated herself for still thinking those thoughts, she didn't want to miss her chance if that happened. Over the past eight years, the memories of their time together had melded into a romanticized version of their relationship and she wanted nothing more than to see him again.

Today, however, things were different. She had gotten a call from one of her contacts as she was about to head to work telling her something big was happening. General Beckman had received a call from Casey, after which she was livid. There hadn't been anything on Chuck in years. Sarah knew Casey was in L.A.; maybe they were finally going to move on Ellie and her family. Sarah quickly decided she needed to stay there. She called into work saying she was taking a personal day, and quickly readied herself for a fight. She knew she was nowhere near as good as she used to be before she uploaded the Intersect, but she also knew she would do everything she could to protect Chuck's sister.

Two hours after she got the call, she saw a car pulling up to the house. There was only one occupant, and it definitely wasn't government issued. She knew Ellie was still inside, and Devon had left with his daughter earlier. When the driver didn't move to exit the car right away, she reached for her binoculars and looked into the car.

_Chuck_.

The binoculars fell from her hands as Sarah's body froze and her mind reeled from what she'd just seen. A tornado of thoughts began swirling around in her head. After all this time, he was here, torturously within her reach, and she couldn't move. She lost focus as one thought was quickly replaced by another. She saw him exit his car and make his way to the door. She saw him knock. She saw Ellie answer and throw her arms around him, all the while wishing she was the one touching him. She saw them make their way inside; and all throughout she willed her body to move, to no avail.

Sarah kept staring at the white door long after it had closed, knowing full well that everything she had been longing for was right on the other side. All she had to do was move the few hundred feet that separated her from Chuck... and yet, she couldn't make herself move an inch. She had no idea what she was going to say, what she wanted to say. She'd imagined many times seeing him again, but she never got passed the initial lock of their eyes on each other, the smile she would give him.

Now that he was here, though, things were playing out differently. She wasn't feeling entirely like she thought she would. She knew she had to go in there, but she had to think through how she would play things. Unfortunately, she didn't get much time because five minutes later, she saw a Crown Victoria pull up behind Chuck's car.

_Casey_.

He had a scowl on his face and she was sure he was here to do Beckman's dirty work.

No matter what she was feeling at the moment, the danger to Chuck she perceived overrode everything else. She jumped out of her car and ran straight at Casey, fully intending on taking him down. She couldn't fire at him, he was too close to the house; she'd have to fight him.

By the time she got near him, he was in front of the door. She wasn't as quiet as she used to be so he turned around when he heard her coming.

"Walker?" His eyes narrowed, "What the hell are you doing?"

Sarah didn't answer. Instead, she launched herself, trying to take him down to the floor where his height wouldn't be an advantage. It worked, but he got her in a bear hug on his way down, and they both went crashing through the front door and into the house.

She heard Casey shouting at her, but all she wanted to do was get out of his hold. She cursed herself for being so weak now. She would've had no problem taking him out before. She hated the Intersect, for more than one reason.

And then, she heard his voice calling...

"Sarah?"

**-0-**

Sarah went still and her head snapped up to face Chuck. Casey's arms relaxed around her and she shifted her hands to the carpet on either side of Casey.

"Chuck..." she breathed out.

The penetrating gaze was enough to make Chuck completely self-conscious. He was not expecting Sarah to come bursting through Ellie's door; and he _definitely_ had not expected her to come crashing through while being restrained by Casey: What the hell was up with that? He'd being hoping to see her again and talk with her, but this was _not_ the way he'd envisioned it happening. He had not prepared himself to deal with Sarah. He knew there was a lot they would have to talk about, a lot he would have to apologize for; but having her here so soon, with that intense stare fixed on him, he was more uncomfortable than he ever thought possible. Even though he was the one looking down at her in her less than graceful position, she held all the power. He felt like _he_ was the one being judged, liked he had wronged Sarah greatly and was now going to be put to task for it. He felt like the old post-Stanford Chuck, and that did not sit well with him.

In those few moments, his resolve started to build. He wasn't going to revert; he was going to stand up for himself.

Adrenaline had taken over. In the blink of an eye, Sarah's eyes narrowed, a fierce look came over her and she vaulted off of Casey barreling straight toward Chuck.

Drawing her hand back while making a fist, she shouted, "You bastard!"

The resolve he'd been building disappeared in an instant; Chuck was completely taken aback by the turn of events and froze in place.

Registering the aggressive action, the Intersect took over, instantly compelling Chuck into a defensive move.

As Sarah's fist pushed forward, Chuck reached out with his right, grabbing her wrist and pulling down, spinning her around with her own momentum. Her back crashed into his chest. In her moment of disorientation, he grabbed her right wrist with his left hand and her left with his right, pulling them tight across her torso. He hooked his left leg around both of hers, rendering her, essentially, immobile.

The entire exchange took seconds, and all Sarah could do was blink as she tried to understand what just happened. Ellie stood mesmerized by the scene.

Casey, on the other hand, knew exactly what happened and he was not happy. When he saw Sarah gunning for Chuck, he was about to smile at the hurt she was going to inflict upon the dumbass who seemed unsure of what to do, but then he saw the flash overtake him.

He growled out, "You son of a bitch! You have the 2.0! You lied to me Bartowski."

"No, Casey, I just didn't tell you the whole truth."

Sarah had recovered and started using the only means she had to try to break free: she tried to headbutt Chuck so he'd release her. Every time she did though, Chuck just moved his head and kept his eyes on Casey. "Let me go!"

"Not until you calm down. We need to talk and we can't do that if you're trying to rip my head off the entire time," Chuck said calmly.

"Apparently, I wasn't the only one to be less than honest," he said looking at Casey. "I thought you said she couldn't fight anymore?"

"No, Moron. I said she was done as a _field_ _agent_. I never said she still couldn't kick your ass, or the majority of other people's for that matter. Of course, that was before I knew you went for the upgrade. She's a lot faster and stronger than the last time I saw her, but her reflexes took too much damage from the Intersect. I think you can tell she'd get herself killed as an agent."

"Hey! I'm _right_ _here_!"

"You also need to calm down if you want Bartowski to let you go."

"I'm going to kick his ass and then I'm going to kick yours Casey!"

"Oh, for the love of-" Casey reached into his waistband, pulled out his gun, and fired two shots.

Sarah looked down at the two darts sticking out of her chest and then turned her quickly drooping gaze on Casey, "I'm _so_ gonna ki-"

She didn't get to finish her sentence as her body went completely limp and she slipped into unconsciousness.

Chuck was now holding Sarah's seemingly lifeless body up, and man was she heavy. With a strained voice he called out to Casey, "What'd you do that for!"

"You saw her; she wasn't going to calm down and we need to have a conversation."

"Yeah, but now all you did is make her even angrier. What are we going to do when she wakes up?"

"_We_?" Casey said laughing. "I don't think so, Bartowski. _You_. That right there," he said pointing to Sarah, "Is your problem. I'm sure you'll think of something. I mean, you _are_ the one with the degree from Stanford, right?" He said, tapping his index finger to his head mockingly.

"Ha...! Good one..." Chuck said, not at all amused by Casey's antics.

"Hey, you wanted her, now you got her." Casey turned serious. "Okay, enough of this. Let's talk. I need some answers."

"Fine, but let me put her somewhere first." He looked at Ellie, who was just blankly staring at them. "Uh... Ellie?"

"Huh?" She blinked dumbly.

"Which room do I get? She's going to be out for a couple of hours, so I want to put her on a bed."

"Oh... right! You can put her in your old room."

"I'll be right back," he said as he headed to his room.

"Uh-huh," she said as she sat back down on the couch. She wasn't expecting her brother's return to go quite like this.

As Chuck was coming back into the living room, he heard...

"Babe? What happened to the door?"

Devon was at the threshold with Clara at his side. _This sucks,_ Chuck thought as he let out a sigh and shook his head from side to side.

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

_**Author's Note:**_ I really wanted to tranq someone at some point, didn't really matter who, it just turned out to be Sarah. Also, I stopped this chapter here just in case the conversation between Sarah and Chuck isn't as long as I think it's going to be, it gives me a bit of a buffer; some may call it filler. This is what happens when I don't know what's going on with a story; things rearrange themselves all the time.


	6. Chapter 6: Sarah

_**Author's Note:**_ Okay, chapter 6. It took me longer than I thought it would because I couldn't get Chuck and Sarah to do what I wanted them to do, but it's done. So, here it is:

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

Sarah

"Devon, I'm sorry. I think that's kind of my fault." Chuck said, fully stepping back into the living room.

"Chuck?" Devon's head turned to Chuck. "Bro! You're here!" He moved to envelop Chuck in a bear hug, lifting him off the ground.

"Dev-on... can't breathe..." he squeaked, the feeling of déjà vu was not lost on him.

"Sorry, Chuck," he said as he put him down. "I'm just glad to see you're back safely. It's been too long."

"It's okay. Ellie gave me the same reception earlier," Chuck reassured Devon as he straightened out his shirt.

His attention was drawn to John Casey standing by the wall to Chuck's left. "John? What are you doing here? Did you do that to the door? Are you here for Chuck?" His eyes narrowed and his voice grew dangerous.

"No, Devon. It's okay. Casey's not going to cause any trouble. Are you?"

Casey looked at Chuck's pointed gaze, then to Devon. "I'm not after Chuck. I'm done with that." He paused a moment, then continued, "As for the door, you have Walker to thank for that. I was just going to knock."

Devon looked quizzically at Ellie sitting on the couch looking lost; she shrugged and shook her head. He turned back to Chuck. "_Sarah's_ here too?" He didn't see her in the living room. "Where is she?"

"Uh, well, she's kinda knocked out right now, so she's sleeping it off in my room."

"Sleeping what off?"

"The colonel here shot her with a couple of tranquilizers," Chuck said pointing a thumb at Casey.

Devon inhaled deeply and let it out, "Okay, Chuck. You're going to have to explain some things here."

"Yeah _Chuck_," added Casey. "Like why I'm not a colonel anymore."

"What?" Chuck was surprised, as were Devon and Ellie. "Okay. Casey, Devon, take a seat. I only want to go over this once."

Devon finally remembered Clara who was still clutching his hand. "You're going to have to give me a minute. I'm going to go put Clara down for her nap."

Chuck took a long look at the little girl at Devon's side and smiled taking in the sight of his little niece. "Sure, but I'm going to want some time to get to know my niece later."

He picked up Clara and pointed to Chuck. "That's your Uncle Chuck. You've talked to him before on the computer, remember?"

Clara appraised Chuck. After a few moments, recognition set in and she nodded her head but said nothing.

"Okay, well, say 'see you later Uncle Chuck.'"

"See you later Uncle Chuck," Clara parroted shyly and quickly buried her face in Devon's shoulder. Chuck smiled.

Devon moved to Clara's room as Casey took a seat on the couch.

**-0-**

As soon as Devon came back and sat, Casey prompted, "Okay, Bartowski, start talking."

"Where should I start?" He said as he sat in a chair in front of the three.

"How about with why Beckman fired me and said she wasn't going to be a general much longer? What did you do?"

"Why do you assume _I_ did anything?" He asked innocently.

Casey growled.

"Yeah, alright." He smiled. "Why is Beckman not going be a general much longer? Well, I guess my little phone call worked." Casey grunted in question, the other two were just listening. "How many agents do you think have uploaded the Intersect?"

"Dozens," Casey replied.

"What if I told you the number is actually in the hundreds?"

"That's not possible. The program is not that big."

"Really? Are you sure about that?"

"Someone would've noticed that many Intersects walking around."

"If they were all in one place, and if they stuck around long enough, yes; but it doesn't work that way."

"How does it work then?"

"You saw what the Intersect did to Sarah; hasn't it ever occurred to you that the same thing might happen to anyone else that downloads it?"

"No. Walker was never a candidate to be an Intersect host; there's no problem for the suitable candidates."

"That's a lie. No one can handle the Intersect for long. It puts too much strain on the brain of the host. It overheats the brain; eventually the host either goes insane or dies."

"What are you saying?"

"The reason you think there's only dozens instead of the hundreds there actually are, is because those agents don't have a long shelf life. They're shuffled around so no one gets too familiar with them. When one goes down, they're simply replaced with another and no one is the wiser."

Casey growled out, "That's despicable. Even Beckman wouldn't do that."

"What do you think my call was about? She knows I have her with this and, apparently, she doesn't want to stick around to push her luck."

"Why aren't you in the looney bin, then? What makes you so special?"

"Nothing, the fact that I have such a high retention rate just means that I can handle the Intersect longer than most everyone else before it starts affecting me, but eventually it would get me too."

"So, you're gonna go crazy, Bartowski?"

"Thanks to my dad, no." He raised his left wrist. "See this?" He pointed at the silver watch. "He calls it a Governor. It regulates the Intersect and cools my brain. No loosing my marbles for me _and_ it tells time, cool right?"

"I see." Casey was eying him accusingly.

"I didn't lie to you Casey. I only left some stuff out," Chuck said. "Every one of the government's secrets is gone. I did take the Intersect out. I only have the skills part of it. You know: insurance."

Casey begrudgingly responded, "That's a good move I suppose. But what's to stop someone from uploading some more stuff into your head?"

"I didn't lie about that either. This head is closed for business. Nothing can be put in or taken out. Besides, let them try. They won't get far."

"Hmmm."

"As for why she fired you? I don't really know. My guess is she just did it out of spite, for not bringing me in. I'm sorry about that." He sincerely was, Chuck knew how much the job meant to Casey.

"Don't worry about it, I was going to quit anyway. I just needed some answers." That bit of information lit the bulb in Chuck's head.

**-0-**

They'd been talking for a little more than two hours. Chuck shared his side of things with Casey, while Casey filled in events from his side. Ellie and Devon asked questions once in a while, but mostly just listened to both men recount eight years' worth of memories.

Chuck had been trying to find the best way to broach the subject ever since Casey said he was definitely done with spying. He hadn't settled on anything but decided to just go for it. "Hey Casey?"

"What?"

"There's something else I need to talk to you about. Nothing to do with the government but it does concern you."

"Spit it out."

"I foun-" He stopped when he saw Casey look behind him. He turned and saw Sarah making her way towards them. "Sarah... hey."

She didn't respond, just kept walking towards the couch. Casey got to his feet and stood defensively.

Sarah stopped in front of him and sighed. "Look, Casey, I want to apologize. I overreacted and jumped to conclusions." She was looking apologetic and she stuck her hand out to him. "I'm sorry for throwing you through the door. Are we okay?"

Casey looked down at her hand and back at her. He didn't need any more problems and she seemed to have calmed down. He took her hand to shake it.

As soon as his hand clasped around hers, she pulled him in forcefully and kneed him right in the groin. He fell to his knees and Sarah knocked him to the ground with a punch to his left cheek. "Tranq me again, and this will seem like a slap on the hand," she said calmly. "Now, we're even."

Chuck and Devon instinctively shielded their respective equipment, and cringed. They could feel Casey's pain. Ellie sat; eyes wide in shock.

"Now, you..." She turned her attention to Chuck.

He jumped out of his Chair, backing away. "Sarah, wait. Let's not do something I'm going to regret," He said looking back down at Casey. "Let's just talk. Please, just give me this chance."

"Talk."

"Not here. Let's talk in my room." She rolled her eyes, but gave a consenting nod. "Ellie, when he's feeling better, can you guys show Casey here, how it was we communicated? I'm sure that'll keep him busy while Sarah and I talk."

"Sure," she said moving towards a light switch on the wall.

"I'll call someone to come take a look at that door," Devon added.

"Good idea. We'll join you when we're finished," Chuck said as he and Sarah began to walk to his room. He turned around and whispered, "Whatever you hear, don't come in."

**-0-**

There was an incredible tension in his room.

Neither of them knew where to begin. Chuck was sitting on the bed, staring at the floor while Sarah paced back and forth, arms crossed over her chest, in front of him.

Finally, Chuck decided he should start by apologizing for how he'd left. "Sarah-"

"Stop," she said, interrupting him. "This is my time. I'll ask the questions, you answer." She looked straight at him. "Understood?"

Chuck nodded but said nothing.

"You're back, Casey's in your sister's living room, and you don't seem scared that they'll come after you. What's changed?" She said, still pacing the room.

"Well..." Chuck started to explain the events of the last twenty-four hours to Sarah.

"I see." Sarah said as she stopped in front of him. "So you think they're going to just let you go? Let your father go?" Her voice betrayed hints of anger.

"No. I'm hoping they will, but I'm not stupid," he replied, looking up at her.

"You think just because you have the Intersect you'll be able to fight them off?" She said, her voice rising.

"That's just a tool. One of many we have." He saw her fists begin to clench. "I wanted my life back, now I have it. No one is going to take it from me again."

"You think it's that easy? You're a big man now that you can fight?" She shouted as her fist flew to his face once again.

Chuck's hand snapped up from his side and caught her fist. "You need to stop doing that Sarah," he said as he held her fist firmly and stood up. "Things have changed. I'm not who I used to be, but no I don't think I'm a _big_ _man_." He let go and she stepped back. "My dad and I have worked hard for a long time for this. I know _exactly_ how dangerous and difficult this could have been and could still be; we've planned for it."

"Mr. Big Bad Spy, think you have everything figured out!" Her anger was growing with every exchange.

"Is that all you're going to do, insult me?" Chuck felt the annoyance build inside. "What are you even doing here? You're not with the Agency anymore, you have no business here."

"No business? I was trying to keep your family safe from Beckman! I've been watching over them for the last _three_ _years!_ I thought I owed you that much, I was sorely mistaken." She spit out. "I don't owe you a damned thing; you're the one who owes me here!"

"How-"

"You abandoned me!" She cried out, her voice a little unsteady.

Chuck was taken aback. He had been ready to apologize before, but seeing her react like this made him regret leaving her that much more. "Sarah, I-"

"Don't! I chose you. I was ready to give up everything for you and you left me, just like my dad, just like Bryce!" Sarah was throwing everything she could in his face, unfortunately, she went one too far.

Being compared to Bryce Larkin was a slap in the face for Chuck, and any inclination he had to apologize vanished. "How the hell was I supposed to know that Sarah! Through the constant rejection? The lies? Or maybe the manipulation?" Everything he had hated about their relationship was coming to the surface.

"I told you why things had to be the way they were, you never listened, and I never manipulated you!"

"Never manipulated me? You did it the day I ran! You lied to me, used the feelings and trust I had for you to lure me into a trap! Was that what you were doing when you agreed to a date with me when the Beta was coming online? Assuage your conscience of any guilt from letting Casey put a bullet in the back of my head by giving the nerd what he wanted?"

Sarah's eyes went wide as shock spread through her at the revelation.

"Well, it's clear you didn't know about that. That's something at least."

"Of course I didn't know about that! I wouldn't have played any part in Casey killing you, just like I couldn't play a part in putting you in a bunker; I told you we needed to run! I was going to keep you safe!"

"I'm grateful that you gave me a warning; but being a last-second, backed into a corner choice doesn't sit well with me. From where I stand, it doesn't seem like you were quite that ready to give everything up for me." Chuck wasn't shouting now, but his voice was still harsh. "If you had had time to think things through back then, can you honestly say that you would have made the same choice?"

Sarah wanted to say yes, but she couldn't be sure. She was a different person back then. Those thought processes were no longer hers.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Chuck went to sit back on the bed and rubbed his hands over his face. Calming down, he began again, "Let me ask you something else."

"What?" This conversation was emotionally exhausting her, but she wasn't ready to back down just yet.

"If I had gone with you, did you have a plan for what we would do?'

"We would've gone after your dad. You knew where he was being held."

"After that? Say we succeeded in rescuing him, what then?"

"I don't know; I would've come up with something."

"Say I told you I had a plan, would you have listened to me or would you have ignored me because you didn't see me as competent?" He eyed her carefully, knowing she was getting ready to lie. "Tell me the truth. I'll know if you lie."

She knew the answer to this one: No. She wouldn't have given his plan any merit. She would have ignored it; once she was in the mind set of protecting an asset that had no business in the spy world, she was in charge and only she had a say. "Sorry, Chuck, but you had no experience in those situations. You wouldn't have known what to do."

"That's what I expected you would say. And, I suppose, every move after that would have been up to you? All I would've been good for is following your orders?"

"I would have kept you alive Chuck!"

"I think I'm doing just fine," he argued. "I had a plan. I used it and it worked, hell, I've even gotten to come back to my family!" He took a breath to calm down. "Can you tell me that if I'd gone with you I would have ever seen my family again?"

"No, I can't. You probably _never_ would have seen them again." Softly, she continued, "But we would've been _together_... why wasn't I enough?"

He exhaled, exasperated. "Come on, Sarah. You know that's not it." He focused his gaze on hers, "I wanted you to be enough; you easily could have been, but you never let me in. You knew everything about me. I had no idea who you actually were. Sarah Walker isn't even your real name; it's just some alias you use." He wanted her to understand. "I don't even know what you're calling yourself now. Can you really not see how I could've done what I did in a moment of panic, when you were practically a stranger to me? Everything caught up with me and I wasn't willing to trust someone who didn't trust me in return anymore."

She quietly considered everything Chuck had said for a couple of minutes; then finally said, "My name is Sarah Walker."

"So, you still won't tell me your real name..." He sighed dejectedly.

"That is my real name." She continued before he could speak, "It may not be my birth name, but it's who I've been for the last eighteen years, it's who I'll be for the rest of my life."

"You told me that was just an alias."

"It used to be, but when I left the Agency, I made it official." She moved to sit next to Chuck. "Sarah Walker had the Harvard degree; she had the job experience, the history. None of my other identities had that and I wasn't running. It was an easy choice to make." She turned to look at him. "I never felt more like myself than when I was Sarah Walker, so that's who I officially am."

"Oh. Thank you for telling me all that; seems like I'm not the only one who's changed. I didn't have to pry it out of you or anything." He smiled.

"Well, like you said: I've changed." She smiled back.

"Listen, _Sarah,_ there's something I wanted to talk to you about. I didn't think I'd be doing it this soon, but we're here."

"What is it?"

Chuck was suddenly nervous. "Before I say anything else, are you... _with_ anyone?"

"You mean another agency?"

"No, I mean, uh... is there a _significant_ _other _in the picture?" He gestured with his hand.

"Oh... No!" She quickly added, "I mean, not at the moment. I haven't exactly had time for dating recently." She was fiddling with her nails.

"Okay." He brushed the back of his neck with his hand. "Is there... can we..." He took a breath and started again, "I know we made a huge mess of things Sarah, but I've never stopped thinking about you. Do you think there's still a chance for us?"

"I don't know, Chuck." She sighed. "I'd be lying if I said I haven't thought about you too, but we have a lot of baggage between the two of us."

"You know, I can still be your very own baggage handler," he joked.

Sarah laughed lightly. "Well, I think I may be ready to give you that job now, so we may just have a chance."

"That's all I'm asking for," he replied.

"So... what now?"

"Well, right now, we should go join the others. There are some things I want to show you, and then I want to spend some time with my niece." She nodded. "I'd like you to stay for dinner. I'm going to ask Casey, too."

"I don't know about that."

He reached over and put his hand over hers, "Please. I promise no one will give you any problems once we straighten everything out."

"Okay, I'll stay." She had missed spending time with these people.

Chuck spoke again as she moved to stand. "Sarah?"

"Yeah?"

"Tomorrow... will you have dinner with me?" He asked apprehensively, he didn't know if he should ask so soon.

"No."

"What?" Surprise and hurt laced his voice.

"We have a lot to talk about, Chuck. I think it would be better if you came over to my place and we got take out. That way there'll be no one to interrupt us and we can talk freely." She looked down into his eyes.

Chuck smiled, understanding. She still wasn't comfortable talking about feelings in front of others. "Okay, that sounds good too."

"Can I ask you something?"

Chuck saw shyness in her as she spoke. "Sure."

"Do you think... I can have... a hug?" She seemed really vulnerable.

He couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Of course."

Chuck got up to embrace Sarah; he didn't see the fist coming straight at his stomach. It connected dead center and drove the air from his lungs. "Umpf..." His eyes were wide with shock.

He fell back on the bed, Sarah looked down at him, "_That _is what you get for not only letting Casey _tranq_ me, but restraining me while he did it." She turned and started walking out of the room.

"Sorry..." he grunted out.

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

_**Author's Note:**_ I don't even know where to take this anymore, so I'm thinking one, maybe two more chapters then I'm done with this one.


	7. Chapter 7: Clara

_**Author's Note:**_ This is the longest I've gone without updating this story since chapter 1. Sorry it took this long, but stuff happens sometimes. I said two more chapters, but now it's more like three (including this one).

On another note, today marks six months of my being on this site, and seven months since discovering such a thing as fan fiction of any kind existed. I know, I'm super-late to the party, which was only made more apparent by an article I just read over at **Chuck** **This Blog**_,_ which talks about the end of _Chuck_ (kind of a downer, that one). Anyway, I originally joined to be able to review, writing was not even an option I considered back then but here I am four stories in. I couldn't have imagined writing _one_, let alone four. Thank you all for the reviews, alerts, favorites, and just the support you've shown me in general. It's made it all worth it. Here's the chapter:

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

Clara

Having recovered sufficiently enough, Chuck made his way out of the room to join the others. He found them still in his father's secret base. Ellie and Devon were explaining to Casey how they'd used her father's encrypted channels to communicate with Chuck and Stephen over the years without the NSA knowing. Sarah was at the bottom of the stairs looking around in awe. "Incredible, isn't it?" He began. "I lived here for years and never knew this was here." Sarah nodded. "Come on; let's see what's down here." Chuck grabbed her hand and pulled her along towards the others.

Sarah was surprised by the move but did nothing to free her hand; feelings long forgotten came rushing back and she remembered how much she enjoyed something as simple as holding hands with him.

"You guys done talking?" Ellie asked when they got near.

"For now," Chuck answered.

"And?" Ellie wanted a better handle on things, but she would settle for an understanding of where Casey and Sarah stood.

"And Sarah is going to be joining us for dinner."

"I see," she answered studying Chuck and Sarah's interlocked hands.

"Casey, what do you say? Care to join us?"

He had missed Ellie's cooking, and he _did_ appreciate the offer given the circumstances, but he was still Casey, so he graciously responded, "Not like I got anything better to do," and shrugged. Chuck smirked at his response.

Ellie rolled her eyes at the gruff man. "That's fine, but right now, it's time for lunch. Come on Devon, help me make some sandwiches."

"See you guys upstairs," said Devon as he slapped Chuck's shoulder and went after his wife.

Ellie and Devon headed upstairs, leaving the three former teammates alone for the first time.

"_So_," Chuck said, looking between Casey and Sarah, "this doesn't feel awkward at all..."

Casey ignored him. "Listen Walker, it's done. Let's call it even and move on," he put his hand out. Sarah eyed him suspiciously. "Oh, come on. If I was going to do something, I would've done it the first time you attacked me."

"You'd better not try anything," she said as she moved to shake his hand.

The handshake and nod they exchanged brokered an understanding between the two and some of the tension in the room dissipated.

They fell back into their professional personas and went over whatever files they found until Ellie called them up for lunch.

They all sat at the table, and found that it was easier to talk with Ellie and Devon around.

They ate and talked about the beginnings of Team Bartowski up through when Chuck ran; Chuck's side of things they already knew, but hearing Sarah and Casey's perspectives, shed light on a few things that had always bothered Ellie about the whole situation. It seemed to her the only one she could really blame was Bryce Larkin, and she had already promised not to speak ill of the dead. She sensed the discomfort between the two when Sarah talked about her relationship with Chuck. She finally understood the old "it's complicated" excuse they'd thrown around so often back then. She also understood Casey's actions, once she knew everything. She wasn't ready to let go of every hard feeling she had toward these people; after all, they had screwed with her brother, but it seemed the three of them had a unique bond, they could understand Chuck better than she could and he'd need that understanding now that he was back. It also seemed like he and Sarah would finally have a chance to really be together; if it would make Chuck happy, she wouldn't stand in the way. Ellie knew how lucky she was to have a family and life she loved. After everything he'd been through, her brother deserved a chance at some happiness too.

**-0-**

Clara walked into the dining room a few hours later, having woken up from her nap, the conversation turned towards superficial banter. Ellie and Devon went into the kitchen to clean up the dishes and check the roast she'd put in the oven earlier. Sarah and Casey remained at the table; Chuck got up and went to meet his niece in person, finally.

"Hi, Clara," he knelt in front of his niece.

"Hi," the five year old hesitantly replied.

"What's the matter? I'd thought you'd be happy to see your uncle in person?"

She leaned in and whispered, "I'm not supposed to know you. _Remember_?"

Chuck was confused for a moment before he did remember. "Oh! Yes, you're right; and you did a great job sweetheart, but the game is over. You don't have to pretend anymore."

Clara was still a bit skeptical. "Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Did you win?" She asked, brightening up a little.

"Of course I did," he said with a wide smile. "I had you on my side. They never had a chance."

"Hmmm," she said, scrunching her brow together. "I don't think they were very good. They took so long and still didn't find you. I bet I could find you, and fast too." She finished with a twinkle in her eye.

"Oh, you think so?" Chuck couldn't help the smile stuck on his face; his niece was quite the confident child. "I guess we'll have to find out."

"Can we play?" Clara asked excitedly.

"Sure, but we'll have to ask your parents first," he responded, unprepared for what he unleashed.

"Mommy! Daddy! Can Uncle Chuck and me play Hide and Seek!" She yelled to her parents in the kitchen.

Chuck winced from the pain the high-pitched yelling brought to his ears. "Clara, I didn't mean right this moment. We could've walked over to them."

"Why? This way is faster," she replied completely convinced of her answer.

Before Chuck could say anything else, Ellie appeared in the dining room. "Clara, what did we say about the yelling?"

"I forgot," she said, looking innocently at her mother.

"Right; just for that, you don't get to play with Chuck tonight."

"But Mommy!" Clara started to protest.

"No, Clara, and if you make a big fuss, you'll have to wait longer. Besides, your Uncle just got here. He's tired and he needs to rest," Ellie said, not backing down. "You do want him to have lots of energy to play with you, don't you?"

"Yes," she said, with a resigned pout on her face.

"Good, now it's almost dinnertime. Help me set the table?" Ellie smiled down at her daughter. Clara nodded. "Hey, you can play with Uncle Chuck tomorrow before nap-time, okay?"

Clara ran to her mother and gave her a hug with a big smile on her face.

Chuck, now standing, saw the scene play out between mother and daughter. A sad smile occupied his face. He was happy for his sister and everything she had built for herself; but seeing it in person just accentuated how different their lives had turned out. How far removed he had become from who he used to be. His years in exile had caused him to become uncomfortable with simple human touch. He used to thrive on personal interaction; he remembered not being able to shut up half the time. In the short time he'd been back, he found that he preferred to keep to himself; he only talked when he absolutely had to, and it took a large amount of self-control not to squirm when Ellie, then Awesome hugged him. He'd always wanted a family. He wasn't sure he was capable of having one now, but he didn't get this far to not even try. He knew he had issues to overcome, but being home again, they didn't seem insurmountable.

Ellie looked over at her brother and returned his sad smile. She couldn't help but pity him a little; though she knew he was anything but pitiful, he was a strong man to be able to get through what he'd been through. Still, the mental image she had of her little brother lingered and it was hard not to compare it to the Chuck that stood before her these many years later. The disparity between the two was saddening. She walked over to him and pulled him close. "Don't worry, Chuck. You have plenty of time. You'll be fine, you'll see."

"Thank you, Ellie." He was thankful that Ellie still believed in him, but he couldn't take any comfort from her embrace, so he just stood still until she broke it off.

Sarah overheard the exchange between brother and sister, her heart sunk. She knew what Chuck felt when he saw the Woodcombs interact. Somewhere along the line, something within her changed. She wanted stability, love, a family and home of her own. She wanted everything she'd asked Casey about years before. She knew she had finally taken the first step towards that, earlier in Chuck's room, but they had a long way to go.

There was a knock at the door. The locksmith had come by and installed a new lock to replace the one Casey and Sarah had broken earlier.

Chuck didn't think twice about it and went to answer the door.

"Oh my god... Chuck?" Morgan's eyes went as wide as saucers and immediately collapsed.

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

_**Author's Note:**_ Next chapter should be out much faster. Oh, and, two more chapters left in this first arc, but the story is not done...


	8. Chapter 8: Morgan

_**Author's Note:**_ I have finally caught up on the stories I'm reading, and got back to a somewhat normal schedule. It's one day later than I'd hoped, but here's ch. 8:

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

Morgan

Chuck quickly threw out his arms and caught Morgan before he could hit the floor. He dragged him over to the couch and went to close the door. By the time he turned around and started walking back, Morgan was coming to. He blinked his eyes a couple of times and started to rise, he caught sight of Chuck once more: he promptly fainted again and fell off the couch right to the floor.

"Oooh..." Chuck cringed as he saw Morgan land hard on his head.

Everyone else came to the living room to see what was going on.

"Urgh... the _other_ moron's here..." Casey turned around and went back to the dining room.

Sarah knew Chuck and Morgan would need to have a conversation so she joined Casey at the table.

"Chuck, why don't you go wait with the others; let me talk with Morgan first and then I'll call you in," Ellie spoke up.

"Uh... okay." He started to walk away.

Ellie knelt beside Morgan and waited.

He started to come to; he blinked his eyes and focused on Ellie. "Ellie! Thank god! I thought I was going crazy," he exclaimed.

"Morgan-"

He rambled on, "You opened the door but it wasn't you, it was Chuck, and then everything went black, and then I saw him again looking down on me from the door, and then- what am I doing on the floor?"

"Morgan." She commanded.

"And why does my head hurt?"

"Morgan!"

He stopped talking and looked at Ellie. "Come on, sit on the couch," she said as she pulled him up and sat him down. "Look at me and pay attention. You are _not_ hallucinating. There are some things you need to know but I'm not the one who can tell you."

"Ellie?" Morgan was confused.

"Listen to me, when you thought you saw Chuck before, you weren't imagining things. He's here."

"What! Ellie we buried him!"

"Calm down, Morgan," she said grabbing him by the shoulders. "Calm down."

Morgan held his tongue.

"I'm sorry that you had to find out like this, but there's a story here you don't know. Are you ready to hear it?"

Morgan nodded tentatively.

"Okay. Prepare yourself, I'm going to send Chuck in here and you two can talk. Are you going to be okay?"

He nodded but still said nothing. He wasn't looking too good.

Ellie left and moments later Chuck walked back in. Morgan's eyes went wide. He jumped out of the couch and onto Chuck. He wrapped his arms and legs around him. "Chuck! You're alive!" He said through tears and a shaky voice.

"Hey buddy! Good to see you again, and not have you faint," Chuck answered.

Morgan broke off and got back to his feet. He looked at Chuck for a second, as if taking the sight of him in, then promptly decked him in the jaw without warning. "How could you let your best friend think you were dead for eight years?" He shouted.

"Ow! What the hell, Morgan?" Chuck was rubbing his aching jaw.

"_What the hell?_" Morgan repeated. "I mourned for you man! I didn't leave my house for _three_ months! You were like a brother to me. Do you know how devastating it was to hear you were dead?" Tears were falling from Morgan's eyes. "I kept hoping it wasn't true, that they were wrong, until I finally accepted that you were gone! Now I find out you've been alive all this time? What do you expect?"

Chuck felt for his friend. It had been hard on him being away from his friends and family, but at least he knew they were still alive. He didn't think about how hard it would really be for Morgan thinking he had died. "Please, Morgan, let me explain."

"Explain what, Chuck? What could be explanation enough to justify faking your own death?"

"If you let me explain, you'll find out. Just give me a chance. Please?"

Morgan sunk down on the couch and nodded. He was looking to the ground and didn't make any move when Chuck sat down next to him.

"Okay," Chuck sighed. "Do you remember the night I turned twenty-six?"

Morgan nodded, eyes closed.

"Remember I got an e-mail from Bryce Larkin?"

Another nod.

"Well..."

**-0-**

Chuck went on to explain everything that had happened to him since getting the Intersect stuck in his head.

Slowly throughout Chuck's tale, Morgan became more and more enthralled. By the time Chuck finished talking, Morgan's eyes were wide in amazement and he was looking right at him.

"Chuck, dude, all of that seriously happened to you?"

"Yeah, man. Every bit."

"Holy crap, man. That's... that's... wow." He didn't have the words.

"Yeah..." Chuck replied in understanding, a small smile on his face.

"So, you and Sarah?"

"Just a cover, for the most part."

"So, then, you two never...?" Morgan trailed off.

Chuck was confused for a moment. "Dude!"

"Sorry, man, but c'mon: _Sarah._ I mean, that's harsh. You were with her for over a year and a half and _nothing_? That seems like torture to me." Of course, _that's_ what Morgan focused on.

"Morgan, I am not talking about that with you," Chuck said, and then he quickly added, "but trust me, I _know_."

"Wow, Chuck. Bryce really had it in for you, didn't he?" Morgan said, shaking his head.

"I think so, but I don't really know. And since he's dead, I can't really ask him."

Morgan nodded. "There's one thing though."

"Hmmm?"

"Well, you didn't really have time to plan anything when Sarah told you about the bunker order, how did you manage to escape?"

"Oh, well, you're right, I didn't have time then, but I actually already had a plan in case something like that happened."

"Really? Sarah and Casey didn't catch you?"

"I was afraid they would, but I had help..."

**-0-**

_Chuck's_ _room_

_Echo Park, California_

_September 29, 2008_

Chuck was stretched out on his bed, reading a comic, feeling sorry for himself. The last couple of days had seen a mixture of a new high and a new low for him. He finally had a real, non-cover date planned with Sarah, the new Intersect was coming online, freeing him from his conscription, and he couldn't wait to start his life anew. Then, it all came crashing down. The Beta Intersect had been blow up, along with Graham. He was again the only Intersect, meaning he wasn't going anywhere: he couldn't quit the Buy More. Most importantly, it meant that he and Sarah were back to Asset/Handler: square _freakin'_ one. Worse, really, because he was finally getting somewhere with Sarah beyond the cover, but now she would probably close herself off again. They were so close tonight before Sarah came and told him the news. He let out a sigh...

His computer started beeping. When he looked over, the screen went white and the words _Hello,_ _Charles_ popped up on screen.

Chuck sat up quickly and went to his desk. _Who is this? What do you want?_ He typed on his keyboard.

_You're in danger Charles._ Chuck got up and looked out his window, around the courtyard. He opened his room door and checked to see that everything was alright. He saw Ellie and Devon watching TV in the living room.

He got out his phone to dial Casey, the computer beeped again: _Not from me Charles, from your handlers._

He dialed Casey but got nothing. He was heading out the window when there was yet another beep.

Chuck looked back to see what was written but instead the screen switched to a recording of Casey talking with Beckman:

_"Major Casey, hope I'm not interrupting?" Started General Beckman._

_"The new Intersect ready?" He asked as he walked front and center. _

_"We're minutes away."_

_"Which means?"_

_"Your order remains the same: Chuck Bartowski is to be eliminated."_

_Casey huffed out a breath._

_"What was that, Casey?"_

_"Nothing, General," Casey responded. Beckman moved to end the video call until Casey spoke again, "It's just, Chuck's served his country with honor. Maybe he even has potential as an analyst for the organization."_

_"I unders-"_

_"Let me, General," Graham interrupted Beckman. "Major Casey, can you extract these secrets from Mr. Bartowski's head? Can you guarantee him safety from kidnapping? From torture?"_

_Casey shook his head. "No."_

_"Then it's clear: Chuck Bartowski has served his country with honor, now he'll die with honor to protect it." The screen in front of Casey went dark._

_The video then switched to footage of Casey inside Chuck's apartment, with a gun drawn and aimed at him._

Chuck couldn't believe his eyes. He walked back to his desk and fell into his chair. He thought he'd heard something earlier but wrote it off as just hearing things.

_Casey hesitated and then lowered his gun. A couple of seconds later he retreated out of the apartment._

No doubt he had over-heard Sarah break the news about the Intersect and Graham, Chuck figured. His mind was spinning. If Sarah had arrived a little later, he would be dead, by one of his protectors' hands. Chuck was starting to seriously freak out.

The screen went white again and new words appeared: _Don't freak out._

"Don't freak out?" Chuck exclaimed, as he jumped out of his seat. "Great, now I'm yelling at my computer."

_Charles, calm down. We have important things to talk about._

"You can hear me?"

_Yes, now sit down._ _We don't have much time._

Chuck sat down. "They're watching me," he said.

_Not right now. They're seeing a loop I prepared but it won't fool Casey for long._

"How do I know I can trust you?"

_You don't. _

_But if it's any consolation: if I wanted to take you, I would have done it already without anyone knowing until it was too late._

_You don't need to trust me. You just need to know you can't trust your handlers or anyone from the government._

_They will kill you as soon they feel like it. You need to be prepared to run, Charles._

"What about Sarah? She wouldn't do something like that," he said nervously.

_Are you sure about that? You know her record. Trust her and you die._

"What do I do then?" His mind was a mess. This day was turning out to be the worst of his life, and that was saying something.

_Listen up, write it down if you need to, but burn the paper trail as soon as you've memorized it._

_First and foremost: you have to act like you know nothing. It's imperative that you do. If anyone catches on, you're done._

_Now..._

**-0-**

"And, you actually trusted that guy?" Morgan asked surprised.

"_That_ _guy_ turned out to be my dad, but no," Chuck responded, "I didn't trust him. Thing is, I didn't have to. I never told him anything about my plan, just followed his instructions for keeping Sarah and Casey in the dark. Plus, after what I saw, I figured two things: he could take me any time he wanted, and two, I could trust the government about as much as I could trust him. A backup plan didn't seem like a bad idea."

"I guess I can see that. It did come in handy," Morgan agreed. "So, you're like some kind of superhero or something now?"

"Not really, but I can defend myself... in any fighting style," Chuck grinned.

"That's so cool! Think I can get an Intersect?" He asked, hopeful.

"Sorry, Morgan. No can do."

"Come on! I want to kung-fu somebody! Maybe Lester..."

"Ha ha! Well, you could, but then you'd go crazy and die, so...still want it?"

"When you put it like that, no. But tell me it's not totally cool?" Morgan said smirking.

Chuck smiled, "Alright, it is. I may have even gotten a little over excited when I first got the fighting pack, my dad wasn't really all that happy with me."

"I knew it!" Morgan exclaimed. "And, you can't turn somebody into a ninja and expect them not to use those sweet moves. How did your dad not know that?"

"He's a little strict when it comes to this sort of thing," he offered.

They talked a little more, then headed to the dining room for dinner with the others.

**-0-**

Having Morgan there to lighten the mood made dinner go by relatively quick.

"Thank you for dinner, Ellie, it was delicious, good night," Casey said on his way out. Ellie smiled. "Goodnight, Devon." Devon nodded.

"Hey, Casey?" Chuck called out.

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to be sticking around? There's something I need to talk to you about."

"I'm in no hurry to get anywhere, but let's get this talk over as soon as we can," Casey answered.

"Good, come by tomorrow afternoon. We'll talk then, I promise, it'll be quick. It _is_ important, Casey."

Casey grunted. "Walker. Moron," he said looking at Morgan, and then closed the door behind him.

Sarah stood in front of Chuck. "Thank you for dinner, Ellie. Good night," she bid to both Ellie and Devon.

"Good night, Morgan."

"Bye, Sarah. It was good to see you again."

Chuck walked her to her car. "Well, um... I'd say today went well, considering..."

"I suppose."

"I know we have a lot to talk about, but today I remembered how I felt being around you. That's a good feeling, Sarah. I want more of it," Chuck said looking her in the eyes.

"I know what you mean. I've learned a lot about myself over the past eight years, I was forced to, but I have," she responded softly. "I'm ready to give things between us everything I've got, but I'm not going to rush into anything. I have to know we can actually build something here-what's so funny?" She asked when she saw his smile.

"You talking so freely, I like it. Very much," he said sincerely. "It's a nice change of pace."

"Yeah, well, I'm trying here. Not everyone gets this long a conversation; that should show you my commitment here."

"It really does, and I hope we can keep that going."

"Tomorrow night? My place?"

"Perfect. I'll bring some pizza."

"Actually, I think I'd rather just cook something," Sarah said casually.

Chuck was surprised, and his raised eyebrows showed it.

"It's not that big a deal, Chuck. I had to learn sometime, and I had a lot of time on my hands for a long while." She said with a touch of sadness.

"Will you tell me about it?"

"Tomorrow. Good night, Chuck," she said as she got into her car.

"Good night, Sarah." Chuck was a little disappointed that there was no hug, but another part of him was glad. He didn't know if he could take the contact without giving away his discomfort. If anyone would notice, it would be Sarah. He'd have to work on that, among other things.

**-0-**

Chuck made his way back inside, where Morgan was waiting.

"So, how about some _Halo,_ for old times' sake?" He asked as soon as Chuck stepped inside.

"Morgan, I don't have any of my old things."

"I do, my old Xbox's in my car, along with the rest of my stuff, I don't really use it anymore," he said. "All we have to do is set it up. I'm sure Ellie and Devon won't mind."

Chuck was unsure.

"C'mon, it'll be fun."

Video games weren't as appealing as they once had been to Chuck, but it would burn up some time. "Alright, let's do it. We'll have to keep it down, though. We don't want to wake Clara."

"Of course dude, be right back," Morgan said as he turned to go get his equipment out of his car.

Ellie came back to the living room. "Hey, Chuck, Devon and I are going to bed. Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah. Morgan and I are just going to play some Xbox for a while."

"Seriously?" She asked disbelievingly.

"What?"

"Chuck, you-never mind. Have fun," she said shaking her head as she turned around and walked away.

Chuck shrugged and let himself fall onto the couch. He let out a satisfying groan as he stretched his limbs. Today had been exhausting and it was only the beginning. He was tired, but he was determined to kill some time. Hopefully Morgan was right and this would be fun and keep him awake.

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

_**Author's Note:**_ Okay two things: I had this chapter planned out but I got busy before I could write anything down, so I forgot what exactly it was I wanted. It took me a while to work it out again, though not quite the same. The other thing: I'm planning on two more arcs. The next one will deal with Chuck struggling to adjust, Alex, and if I can work it out, Orion and Frost. The last will be holiday themed chapters, and I know which one I'll be ending this story on. You can probably figure it out.


	9. Chapter 9: Crossroads Part I

_**Author's Note:**_ Ha... whoops. So, I know I said this was the last chapter in the arc, but I decided to split it up. Two reasons: One, it was getting a little long and with my attention span, the editing, grammar, and spell-checking would've been a pain. Two, as I was looking them over, I found that the first part and the second have different vibes to them (in my opinion). I thought they would be better served as their own individual chapters. Here's the first part:

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

Crossroads

Part I

Chuck was up early the next morning. Not that he wanted to be, he was still tired, but he would have to make do.

He and Morgan had played until three in the morning, until Morgan had fallen asleep on the couch. Chuck saw him struggle to keep awake because he wanted to hang out as long as he could but they weren't exactly kids anymore. He felt himself taking longer and longer to open his eyes between blinks and finally decided to give in. He set the security system on, checked every window and door and, just to be sure, he laid out his own lower-tech precautions. Once he was satisfied they wouldn't be taken by surprise, he shifted Morgan on the couch, put a blanket over him, and walked to his room.

He closed the door to his room, walked over to sit on the edge of the bed. For several seconds he considered taking off his shoes but just fell back on the bed. As soon as his head hit the pillow he was asleep.

**-0-**

_Chuck stood over his hotplate, in his small room, stirring yet another can's worth of chicken soup. _

_Suddenly, he heard the ringing of the bell right before the sound of the door cracking open reached his ears. The tires gave way about a foot from the impact of the battering ram that had been smashed into the door. Chuck stood frozen for a second, but as soon as he saw the first two agents force their way through the door with guns drawn, followed by a scowling John Casey, he jumped to the first rope, gave it a yank, and didn't wait to see if the blocks did their jobs. "Bartowski!" Casey cried out raising his own gun. Chuck tried to quickly turn to grab the second rope. A shot rang out and he was knocked to the floor, his right shoulder bleeding profusely from the bullet wound now on it._

_The net hadn't given way... Casey stood before him, his gun still smoking. The other two agents had their guns trained on Chuck._

_Chuck was in shock, he couldn't feel the pain in his shoulder. He pressed his hand to the wound, when it came away his palm was crimson. He blinked, his mind refused to register that he'd been shot; he'd never been shot before._

_"Nice try." Casey looked up at the ceiling, then down to Chuck. "You've caused me a lot of headaches, Bartowski. I was stuck in Burbank because of you," Casey said, dead emotionless eyes fixed right on Chuck. "Well, not anymore. Thank you for running, you did me a favor. Now I get to do what I should've done from the beginning."_

_Chuck's heart raced, fear threatened to envelop every last part of him. He was shaking. This was it, this is where everything ended. _

_Casey raised his gun again, aimed towards Chuck, and began to pull the trigger..._

**-0-**

Chuck shot up with a start, barely suppressing a scream, he lost his balance and fell off the bed. He was covered with sweat and disoriented for a moment.

He looked around and remembered where he was, his heavy breathing coming under control. He looked at the alarm clock on the night stand: 5:53 am. He sighed heavily: barely three hours' sleep.

_Damned nightmares._ At least he didn't scream this time, he didn't want to freak Ellie out or scare Clara. He went to shower and get cleaned up. There was no way he was going back to sleep, he might as well be useful and make breakfast for everyone.

**-0-**

"Morning, Morgan," Chuck said when Morgan came into the kitchen, drawn in by the smell of coffee and bacon.

"Good morning," He headed to the cupboard and pulled out a cup. "Last night was pretty fun, haven't done that in ages."

"Me neither," It wasn't as fun as it once had been but spending time doing something so mundane was a nice change of pace. "Breakfast?"

Morgan eyed the food Chuck was preparing then checked his watch. "Mind if I take it to go? I have to get home and change before I head off to work."

"Help yourself," Chuck responded as he flipped another pancake.

He finished his coffee, grabbed the foil-wrapped plate he'd prepared and started heading for the door. "So, I'll see you later? We have a lot to catch up on."

"Sure, buddy. You know where I am." Chuck waved to Morgan as he left.

**-0-**

The rest of the morning had been uneventful. Devon had gone off to his shift at the hospital. Ellie had taken Clara to school, against Clara's protests. She had argued that she hadn't had to go the day before, Ellie told her that had been a special occasion: her Uncle's homecoming.

Ellie had gone off on some errands, then to pick up Clara. Chuck was at home by himself. He was preparing for his talk with Casey.

There was a knock at the door.

This time he checked the cameras to see who it was before he opened the door.

"You know, when I said afternoon, I didn't exactly mean twelve-oh-one," Chuck said as he let Casey in.

"You wanted to talk, talk." Casey made his way in past Chuck.

"I _am_ doing well, thanks for asking," Chuck ignored his comment and closed the door.

Casey looked around. "We alone?"

"Yup." Chuck moved into the dining room. "Let's talk in here."

"So... what do you want?" Casey pulled out a chair and sat.

Chuck placed a file between them. "First, let me just say no else besides my father knows this, and he's promised to keep it quiet," he began. "I didn't know whether I should even tell you but then I found out you're no longer working for the government and—it's just... I figure you deserve a shot here," he began to explain.

"Come on, Bartowski, get on with it."

"Okay, let me start over," Chuck took a moment to collect his thoughts. "A few years ago my dad destroyed a Ring facility," he'd remembered that was the reason the Santa Monica explosion sounded familiar: his dad had told him about it. "Before he did, though, he downloaded all their files."

"So?"

"He came across some information. It looks like the Ring was going to try to blackmail you into doing something for them but everything started going to hell, courtesy of my dad, before they could put their plan into action."

Casey snorted. "This is what you wanted to talk about? Seriously? They would've had to kill me before I betrayed my country, and I would've taken as many of them as I could with me."

"I know you would, and no that's not what I wanted to tell you." He pushed the file toward Casey and tapped it. "This is. Take a look."

Casey opened it and started looking it over. After a few moments, he growled. "They were going to use Kathleen and her daughter to blackmail me?"

"Actually, Casey, they were going to use Kathleen and _your_ daughter to blackmail you," Chuck clarified.

He narrowed his eyes. "I don't have a daughter."

"No, but _Alexander_ _Coburn_ and his fiancée do, or they would have, if he hadn't _died_," Chuck said meaningfully.

Casey just stared at the photo of the young woman. "Are you sure about this, Bartowski? This is not something you want to be messing with me about," he said with a hint of a threat.

"I checked it out myself. I'm positive. This isn't something I'd joke about. Abandonment issues, remember?" he offered a sympathetic smile while pointing to himself.

He grunted. "Thanks for telling me about this, and I suppose thank your father for preventing the Ring from going after them," he said as he began to stand up.

"Casey," Chuck stopped him, "I'm not going to tell you what to do here, but there's a reason I told you about them."

"What? You want me to show up at their door step? And say what? Hey, Kathleen, you know how you thought your fiancé was dead? Turns out, he just chose the military over you." Casey said bitterly. "Or how about, you know how you've thought your father's been dead all your life? Well, guess what? He just abandoned you."

"Come on, Casey..."

"Look, I made my choice, Chuck, and I'm going to live with it. I'm sure Kathleen's moved on, and Alex can't miss someone she never knew. There's no sense in me coming into their lives and turning them upside down. It's too late for that." He said resignedly.

"Not yet, it's not. Maybe Kathleen has moved on, but you still have a chance to get to know your daughter, maybe even develop some sort of relationship," Chuck offered. "I know you don't do the whole expressing feelings thing very well, but there must be a part of you that's wondering." Casey kept staring at Alex's picture. "I'll tell you this: The 2007 Casey? I wouldn't have told him any of this. It would've been wasted on him. He wouldn't have cared... plus he was one scary S.O.B." Casey smirked. "The Casey sitting in front of me? Well, he's still one scary S.O.B. but _he_ deserves to know, he deserves a chance to connect with his family. You're not a spy anymore; you don't have to lie to them. You don't have to disappear and leave them wondering if they'll ever see you again. You still have time. All I'm saying is don't waste it; at least give it a shot, no regrets this time." He finished with an encouraging tone.

"You're a pain in the ass, you know that?" Casey said, closing the file.

"So I've been told." Chuck grinned.

"I'm not saying anything will come of it, but I'll think about it."

"It's a start."

"By the way, you look like crap."

"Ohhh... you sure know how to sweet-talk a guy, Casey."

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

_**Author's Note:**_ The next part should be up soon, so it won't be as long a wait.


	10. Chapter 10: Crossroads Part II

_**Author's Note:**_ Okay, here's chapter 10. Sorry it's this late after being _almost_ ready to go for a week now. On the plus side, it makes for a nice even number of chapters, which I like. It's a little disjointed structurally but hopefully still good. Here we go:

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

Crossroads

Part II

Chuck was getting ready for his date with Sarah. The conversation with Casey had gone well and that was encouraging. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad tonight.

Ellie was fussing over him like she used to do. As soon as Sarah had called to give him her address, he rushed out the door and got in his car. He was almost thirty-five and still she treated him like a little kid.

He pulled up to find a modest two-story house instead of an apartment building. Given everything he knew about Sarah, it was surprising, he didn't think of her as the "house" type.

He walked up to the door and knocked. Sarah answered a few seconds later. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

"Hi, Chuck." She smiled.

"Hi, Sarah," he took a look at her, "I guess it's a good thing I didn't listen to Ellie."

"How's that?" She asked, stepping aside.

"She wanted me to borrow one of Devon's suits and really dress up. That would've been awkward." He chuckled as he walked in.

She locked the door behind them. "Yeah..." Sarah didn't see the humor in that. "Come sit down," she pointed at the table in the kitchen to left of the front door. "Dinner's almost ready."

"Speaking of dinner, what am I being treated to tonight?" Chuck asked, smiling.

"Nothing too special, just something I threw together," she shrugged as she headed to check on it.

"I have to say, I'm a little surprised to see you living in a house. I remember you saying something about not setting down roots. This is a pretty big root if I ever saw one."

"I changed my mind, because of... well, you can figure it out." Chuck felt a pang of guilt. "Besides, after the thing with the Intersect, I wasn't going anywhere for a long time. I needed somewhere to stay during my physical therapy. This place was as good as any, and since the government was paying, why not a house? I didn't know whether I'd be able to work again, I figured a roof over my head without worrying about rent is a small reward after everything I did for the CIA."

**-0-**

"Wow, Sarah," Chuck exclaimed as he looked at the pasta covered in tomato sauce with grilled chicken on top. "You shouldn't have gone through all the trouble. Pizza would've been fine."

"I told you, I wanted to cook and it was no trouble," she insisted.

Chuck took a bite of his food. "Oh my god," he mumbled.

"What?" She asked apprehensively.

"This is amazing, Sarah!" He proclaimed.

"I think you're exaggerating," she said, "but I'm glad you like it."

"I love it."

**-0-**

"How bad was it?" He asked as he took another bite of his food.

"I was almost paralyzed," Sarah responded.

Chuck stopped chewing, his eyes wide. "Sarah—"

"There was nothing physically wrong with my body, but the Intersect had destroyed everything my mind knew about how to move. All those connections I made as child, I had to re-learn everything. It took me almost two years to be able to walk normally again, another year to be in any kind of fighting shape. Nothing like before though, the doctors told me some of the damage just couldn't be fixed." She kept eating nonchalantly.

"Sarah, I'm so sorry you had to go through all that." Chuck was now feeling fully guilty: if he hadn't run, she wouldn't have downloaded the Intersect.

"Don't be. It was my choice. Knowing what I know now, I'd do it all over again. There were things I needed to come to terms with; if it hadn't been for that, I don't think I ever would have."

"Speaking of coming to terms, you know we can't move forward until we put every one of our issues on the table," he looked to her for acknowledgement.

"I know," she sighed. "Can we just enjoy our dinner first?"

"Well, you did go through all the trouble, as much as you want to deny it." Chuck smiled.

**-0-**

"In _my_ room, Sarah! You kissed him in my room," he pounded the table with his fist. "How the hell do you think that made me feel?"

"_He_ kissed _me,_" Sarah argued.

"Yeah, and you kissed him back," Chuck spat out. "I saw it, so don't try to deny it."

"Excuse me for being taken by surprise and then getting caught up in the moment." She stopped for a moment and then spoke up with, "And that was your fault! You sent me in there!"

"I didn't tell you to _kiss_ him, did I?" Chuck countered.

**-0-**

"Jill? You're throwing _that_ in my face?" Chuck exclaimed.

"She was Fulcrum!" Sarah replied. "And you broke up with me for her!"

"No I didn't! I broke up with you to keep you safe!"

"And how did that work out? She almost killed me!"

"Well, I didn't know she'd do that, did I? I thought Bryce knew what he was talking about!"

"Bryce? You listened to _Bryce_?" She questioned disbelievingly. "Dumbass!"

**-0-**

"Because you lied to me!" Chuck exclaimed from across the table, arms flung in the air. "I defended you with my dad; I placed all my trust in you, and you had no problem using that against me!"

"Don't you dare!" Sarah spat. "I only ever lied to you for your own good!"

"You knew from the beginning they would kill me as soon as I became expendable, you knew they didn't want me to find Orion, you knew the only thing waiting for me in Castle was a ride to a bunker," he poked at the table at every sentence. "How is any of that for _my_ good?"

"Maybe I struggled with my feelings for you and maybe I went about some things the wrong way, but I would _never_ have let them kill you!" Sarah glared at him. "I helped you find your dad, I told you about the bunker plan, I was ready to commit treason for you!" Sarah reined in her volume, "It may not have been as quick as you wanted Chuck, but I chose _you_."

**-0-**

"Well, that's because my dad had some business there," he said as he settled against the arm of the couch, looking at Sarah at the other end. "He told me to meet him in Moscow. It was a family reunion of sorts. We snuck back into the U.S. and went underground."

**-0-**

"Hey, I didn't want to leave you behind. Everything I planned I did with both of us in mind," Chuck replied. "That is, until you came into the Buy More and told me you were going to throw me in a bunker."

"Screw you, Chuck!"

"Oh, that's real mature," he replied sarcastically.

"You mean like you bringing that up every five minutes? I've apologized enough!"

**-0-**

"Would you like some dessert? I've got some cheesecake in the fridge."

**-0-**

"This tastes incredible," Chuck excitedly mumbled as he ate his cheesecake.

"Really?" Sarah asked skeptically.

"Absolutely," Chuck nodded. "Where did you buy it?"

"Actually, I made it myself," she said as she took a bite of her own slice, she tried to hide the proud smile threatening to overtake her face.

Chuck's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

**-0-**

"Hey, stupid! I agreed to the date didn't I? Shouldn't that have told you something?"

"Then why did you say what you said to Roan during that mission?"

"Because he was an _agent_, Chuck! He would've told Beckman and she would've reassigned me." Sarah said, exasperated.

"Roan wouldn't have done that. He's the one that encouraged me to go after you," Chuck replied.

"Well, I didn't know that. I had no reason to trust that boozehound. In my experience agents only look after themselves and they'll have no problem screwing someone over," she contended. "Remember Forrest? How about Bryce? You have plenty of personal experience with him."

"You had to bring him up..."

**-0-**

"Oh, that," he looked at his wrist. "Well, my dad gave me upgrades bit by bit. I was actually in Bangkok when he gave me both this and the self-defense pack..."

**-0-**

"Would you like some coffee?" Sarah asked from the counter where she was pouring herself a cup.

**-0-**

"Sure, I'd like to start a family," she answered. "I think I'm ready for it now... or at least a lot more prepared than I was at any other point." Chuck nodded. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to start trying to get pregnant right this minute," she added.

**-0-**

"We should stop here; I've got to go to work soon. I should at least try to get a couple hours of sleep."

"Okay," Chuck got up from the couch, stretched out, and yawned; he was tired, too, though sleep wasn't something he was looking forward to. _Maybe tonight will be a no nightmare night_, he thought.

"Maybe you should stay over, you seem too tired to drive," Sarah suggested. Chuck looked uncertain. "I'm not suggesting anything other than sleep, Chuck. You know what they say: Better safe than sorry. I don't want you to fall asleep behind the wheel."

He _was_ really tired. "Okay, you're right. I'll stay."

"My room's the first door on the left," she gestured to the stairs. "I'll join you as soon as I get cleaned up."

"Uh..." Chuck was sure this would be an awkward exchange, "The couch is fine," he said as he patted the arm of the couch. "I'll be comfortable here."

Sarah was hurt by Chuck's rejection. "We're just sleeping in the same bed, Chuck. It's nothing we haven't done before," she said somewhat harshly.

He hadn't really felt like this much of a social reject in a long time. "I know." He sighed dejectedly. "Look, I just—it's just—" He stopped, and looking at the ground, let out a long breath. He looked back up at Sarah's expectant gaze and tried to explain as best he could. "Sarah, please understand it has nothing to do with you. For eight years there were government agents chasing me, eight years I actively stayed away from people as much as I could, eight years I looked behind my back for fear of someone sneaking up on me." He took in a steadying breath. "That took a toll on me. After avoiding it for so long, now I can barely handle physical contact with another person without freaking out."

"You didn't seem to have any problem yesterday when Ellie hugged you, or when _you_ took _my_ hand in your dad's basement," she said, clearly not buying Chuck's excuse.

"She's my sister, what was I supposed to do? Push her away? I couldn't do that to her, but that doesn't mean I wasn't itching to push her off," Sarah raised her eyebrows in surprise, Chuck quickly continued, "Please don't tell her about this. I don't want to hurt her feelings and she doesn't need to go around worrying about me but it is the truth, Sarah." He then went on to address her other point. "As to why I took your hand? That just kind of happened. It felt good to see you again, to be able to hold you again." A small smile appeared on Sarah's face. "If we're going to have a relationship, the one person I need to be able to touch is you, and I have to work on that because I really want to be able to hold you, Sarah."

"I do too, Chuck," she said as she took a step towards him.

"Wait. Let me finish," He held out a hand to stop her. "It's okay to touch me when I'm awake, but the reason I can't sleep in the same bed as you is because I'm not comfortable touching you yet," he said. "When I'm asleep I have no control over the Intersect. If I mistake you for a threat and the Intersect reacts— I don't want to hurt you, Sarah." _No need to tell her about the nightmares just yet_. "I'm sorry. I know hearing me say I'm not comfortable touching you can't be easy and it might hurt, but if there's one thing I can promise you, it's that I won't lie to you this time around." He looked at her for a moment. "Can you make me the same promise?"

"Okay, Chuck. No lies, about anything," she agreed. "And, you're right: it does hurt," Chuck frowned as she took a step back, "but I understand. Thank you for telling me."

Chuck made his way to her and enveloped her in a hug. "Thank you for understanding," he whispered in her ear. An odd mixture of comfort and discomfort passed through Chuck as he held her. "Seriously, though, my dad is the only other person that knows about this, please keep it to yourself."

"If that's what you want," she agreed. "I'll be back in a minute with some blankets and a pillow," she said as she made her way to the stairs.

**-0-**

"Hmph...!' Chuck shot up with a start, breathing heavily. Sweat covered him yet again. It took a moment for him to remember where he was. He felt like someone was watching. He looked towards the kitchen, where Sarah had been looking on the whole time. From the look on her face he knew they were about to have another talk. _Stupid nightmares,_ he sighed. He rubbed his palms over his face then got up and walked over to where she was seating at the table. "Good morning?" he offered as he took the seat next to her.

"You lied to me," she said, an upset look on her face.

"Okay, no. Not really. I told you the truth about not wanting to hurt you; you just saw what happens sometimes," he said pointing to the couch. "I just left out a small part of it."

"So, you have nightmares on top of everything else?" She didn't want to fight this early in the morning.

"Goes with the territory I guess." He shrugged. "They were becoming less frequent. I think being in a new place brought them back."

"What was this one about?"

"Remember I told you about my dad and Bangkok?" She nodded. "Well, instead of him pulling me into that alley, it was Casey, and he put a bullet in my head."

Sarah got up, went to dig into her purse and came back with a business card in hand. She handed it to Chuck. "Give him a call. He's the one that helped me deal with my issues, he's a good man."

Chuck looked at the card in front of him. "A shrink? Really?" He was surprised Sarah would even suggest it, let alone have done it herself.

"It took me a month to say anything, but once I started, he really helped," she said. "He knows what he's doing, Chuck. If you let him, he can help you, too. And, he's ex-CIA, so he knows the deal."

"I'll think about it," he conceded.

Sarah leaned over and kissed him. "I have to get to work. There's breakfast on the counter," she said, picking up her things.

Chuck was once again overcome by that mixture of feelings, but he decided not to say anything about the kiss. "You're leaving me alone in your house?"

"Chuck, I trust you here by yourself," she said confidently. "Just lock the door on your way out or..."

"Or?" Chuck enquired.

"Or you can wait for me to get back home and we can talk some more," she answered. "I should be back around six."

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

_**Author's Note:**_ This is the end of the first arc. Funnily enough, I've only covered three days so far: double the amount of chapters it took me in _The First Seventy Two_, kinda cool that it worked out that way. So, I'm going to work a little on the direction of the second arc because it's a little... nebulous... right now (I've always wanted to use that word in a sentence), then I will start updating again. For those of you waiting for a new chapter of Regenesis, it's coming. That's the hardest of the three stories I'm writing because there wasn't some crazy event that happened to force a change in the characters, so I can't just jump in with them having different attitudes. It takes a little longer some times to plan events out. In the meantime, thank you for sticking with me, and thank you for your reviews.

- Grey Alchemist.


	11. Chapter 11: Bygones Part I

_**Author's Note:**_ Sorry for the long wait between chapters. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to proceed in this second arc. Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that I was trying to clutter it with unnecessary characters so I've decided to minimize the role of some and cut others out completely. I don't need them for the third arc, which is where I really want to get, but I do need to set it up. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this one:

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

Bygones

Part I

_August 26, 2016_

_2:00 pm_

Chuck answered the door to find Casey on the other side.

"Hey, Casey. Right on time."

"What else did you expect?" Questioned Casey as he walked in. "I thought you were watching your niece today," he said as he looked around, not seeing anyone else there.

"Naptime," Chuck replied. "She tired herself out at the park earlier."

Casey took a seat on the couch. "Okay, Bartowski, I've thought about it..."

"_And_?"

"And I've decided that maybe meeting my daughter wouldn't be the worst thing in the world." Casey was terrified at the prospect of seeing Kathleen again, but he had a daughter, _family_ out there: how could he pass up the opportunity to get to know her?

"I'm glad... wait here," Chuck said as he got up. He walked to his room, leaving Casey alone in the living room.

He looked at the framed photos that adorned the room: photos of a happy family, photos of Clara getting just a little older in each subsequent one. He would never have that with his own daughter but maybe, if he had any grandkids, he could be there to watch _them_ grow up.

Chuck came back a few moments later with a piece of paper in his hand. "Here you go," he said, handing Casey the paper.

Casey took the paper and glanced at it. It had his daughter's information written on it. "San Francisco, huh?" He looked up at Chuck.

"Moved there right after she finished college," Chuck affirmed.

"Okay, well then, I better get going," Casey said as he stood up.

"What? You're going _now_?" Chuck put his hands up to stop his movement.

"Before I lose my nerve," he responded. "It's either now or it never happens."

"Then, at least let me drive you to the airport."

"No airport. I'm driving there," he said.

"No offense, Casey, but the Vic's seen better days," Chuck argued. "I doubt it can handle the trip there, let alone there and back."

"My Vic is running as smooth as the day I got her," Casey assured, affronted by Chuck's insinuation.

"Still, you're going to need to think about what to say to Alex when you see her," Chuck insisted. "You can't do that if you need to concentrate on driving."

"Didn't you say your niece is sleeping?"

"Yeah, but by the time you go home, pack a bag, and come back, she'll be up," Chuck countered.

Casey could see Chuck wasn't going to drop the subject, so he relented. "Fine, whatever. But we're leaving as soon as I get back," he warned, leveling his index finger toward Chuck.

"Of course," Chuck grinned.

Three hours later Chuck was pulling up to the drop-off point at the airport. Clara was looking out the back passenger-side window from her booster seat.

"Hey, listen Casey, give me a call when you get back if you need a ride." Chuck turned in his seat to face him. "And I want to know how it goes," he added as Casey stepped out of the car.

Casey only grunted as he closed the car door from outside.

"Where's he going?" Clara asked as Chuck pulled away from the curb.

"He's going to go say good-bye to his past," Chuck answered.

Clara drew her eyebrows together. "What's that mean?"

Chuck smiled into the rear-view mirror. "Okay, who's hungry?" He asked in an upbeat tone.

**-0-**

_San Francisco, California_

_August 27, 2016_

_7:00 pm_

Casey had parked his rental car at the top of the hill, from which he could see his daughter's house further down. He had arrived the night before, checked into a hotel and spent several hours thinking about what he would say to Alex. He finally decided to head to bed so he could get an early start.

He'd parked on the hill early on in the morning trying to work up the nerve to get out of the car and knock on her door. He watched as a woman, whom he recognized as Alex, left the house followed by a man he presume to be her husband and two small kids. They returned several hours later, went inside and still, Casey could not bring himself to make a move.

As noon came around, the need to use a bathroom and hunger drove him to a nearby diner. He promised himself he would be back, though and go through with his mission. He drew out his time at the diner, spending four hours there. He finally could not put it off any longer. He paid for his meal and headed back.

Once he was back on the hill, he thought through everything he wanted to say to his daughter. How he would prove who he was, how he would broach the subject of his presumed demise, and how he would ask for forgiveness.

Finally, he felt confident enough in what he was going to say. He took a deep breath, opened the door, and started to step out before he looked up. He stopped his movement when he saw a car pull up to the house. He observed an older man get out of the driver's seat, followed by a woman from the passenger seat and a kid in his teens from the back seat. The sun was setting but not enough to prevent him from getting a good look at the woman: it was Kathleen. The driver came around and put his arm around her as they started to make their way to the front door.

Alex answered the door, with her husband standing beside her, the small baby in his arms. Seconds later the other child burst through the two adults and threw herself into the arms of Kathleen. Casey saw them exchange hugs and greetings. They seemed like one big happy family, without a care in the world.

Casey shut his door and started up the car. What the hell had he been thinking? What had he been about to do? Alex didn't need him or his issues. That wasn't his family. She wasn't his daughter. He may have provided half the genetic material, but that's all he was: a donor. He was not her father. He didn't factor into her life at all. And Kathleen had moved on; found someone who would actually be there for her and her children. There was no room for him. There was no way he could come into that situation. All that would do is turn those people's lives upside down, cause unnecessary problems. That was unacceptable.

Alexander Coburn had made a choice; John Casey would live with the consequences.

**-0-**

_LAX_

_August 28, 2016_

_1:30 am_

Chuck saw Casey walk out through the sliding doors of the terminal, headed for the car. He had a sullen look on his face; clearly things had not gone well. Chuck just had to figure out exactly what had happened in San Francisco. Casey opened the door, got in, and buckled up.

Chuck opened his mouth to speak, which Casey swiftly put a stop to.

"I don't want to talk about it, Bartowski."

Chuck nodded, released the parking brake, and started the drive back to Casey's temporary home in Echo Park.

**-0-**

_Woodcomb Residence_

_August 28, 2016_

_2:45 am_

Halfway through the ride back from the airport Chuck concluded that Casey looked too much like someone had kicked his puppy, which Chuck didn't think was possible, that in itself said how much the trip had affected him. He decided he couldn't let Casey go home alone. Instead, he turned the car around and started heading towards Ellie and Devon's place. They would be asleep by now, so he and Casey would have some privacy to talk. Casey didn't protest at the change in destination.

They walked quietly through the living room into the dining room. Casey took a seat at the table and huffed out a breath. Chuck walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. He joined Casey at the table moments later, placing a couple of beer bottles on the table in front of him. He took one, popped the cap and handed it to Casey then did the same to his own bottle.

"Thanks, Bartowski," Casey said as he took a drink.

"Sure," he said as he started on his own. "Want to tel— Scratch that. Tell me what happened in San Francisco," Chuck prompted.

"None of your business," Casey responded.

"Come on, Casey, it'll do you good to get it off your chest," Chuck pushed.

Casey wasn't in any mood to put up much of a fight. He was actually hoping Chuck would pry. He needed a friend right then that knew he wasn't the kind to volunteer this sort of thing. "Fine, you win." He started to explain. "I saw them... the whole family," he said. "Kathleen, Alex, their husbands, their children. There's no room for me there, Bartowski. I would only bring problems and complications into their lives," he finished as he gulped down the rest of his beer.

"Casey, did you really want a family, honestly?" Chuck had to know.

"I wasn't completely sure, not at first, now I've missed my chance," he answered. "But you can't miss something you never had, and at least, I'm glad that they're happy. I'll get over it."

Chuck nodded as he got up. He came back moments later with two fresh beers. He placed an open bottle in front of Casey then reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He placed it next to Casey's bottle.

Casey picked it up, unfolded the paper and read it. He face was taken over by surprise.

"You know, the only good thing about my time in France was running into her," Chuck spoke offhandedly as he drank from his bottle.

"What are you playing at, Chuck?" He said with narrowed eyes.

"Nothing. I just know what it's like to want a family," Chuck replied. "You've confronted your past and you've let go of it. You're ready to move on with a clean slate. That's your first step," he said pointing to the piece of paper.

"So, what? I'm supposed to wait around France until she pops up again?" Casey questioned. "Who's to say she's still even interested at this point?"

"Well, two things," Chuck held up two fingers. "First, she's retired. So no waiting involved." Chuck curled up one finger. "Second, trust me when I say she's still interested, very much so, actually."

"You think you have this all figured out don't you?"

"Nah," Chuck waved off. "I've just planned ahead a little, you know, just in case," he shrugged.

Casey grunted in acknowledgement. "Well, thanks, I guess," he said as he slipped the paper into his pocket.

Chuck dipped his head slightly. Then felt the awkwardness that threatened to take over so he decided to change the subject. "So, Sarah wants me to talk to a shrink," he threw out into the room.

Casey stopped mid-swallow and looked over at Chuck. "Intersect making you bonkers, Bartowski?"

"No, but you know, eight years on the run," Chuck reminded. "I've got issues and stuff."

"And Walker's still wearing the pants in your relationship," Casey couldn't let the dig go.

"She does wear them so well," Chuck grinned suggestively.

"Ugh... I don't need to hear that."

"Seriously, though," Chuck got back on topic, "Sarah says he's really good. Apparently, he's the one that helped her work out her issues."

Casey started coughing and pounding on his chest as he choked on his beer. His eyes were wide with surprise. "_Walker_ talked to a shrink?"

"I know. Surprised the hell out of me, too."

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

_**Author's Note:**_ That's two updates down, hopefully I'll be able to deliver on the third. It helps that I only have readings this week.


	12. Chapter 12: Bygones Part II

_**Author's Note:**_ Writing an Ellie/Sarah scene has turned out to be harder than I thought, it's going to take a bit more time. This chapter is a bit of revisionist history, just because any other way seemed hollow. Here we go:

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

Bygones

Part II

_Woodcomb Residence_

_August 28, 2016_

_7:45 pm_

"You know it makes sense, Chuck."

"It's not that I don't appreciate the offer, and I can see your point but I think it's too soon for something like that."

"There's nothing that says if you move in with me you have to move into my bedroom. I do have a spare room, you know." Sarah turned on the couch to make sure the others were still out of ear-shot then turned back to Chuck. "But for the record, I think the too soon card flew out the window after the things you did to me the other day." She reached over and squeezed his thigh.

"Shhh! My niece is right over there," he whispered back quickly and removed her hand.

"Relax, Chuck, no one heard or saw," she spoke normally.

Chuck looked over to assure himself. "Okay, so maybe that wasn't exactly taking things slow, but it's not like you left me with much of a choice with the way you were acting and what you were _not_ wearing," he swung back.

"Need I remind you, you said you needed to be comfortable touching me again?" She raised an eyebrow. "What better way to deal with it than to just take the bull by the horn, so to speak?" She smirked. "Besides, no one forced you to do anything, you could have said no and stopped at any time."

"No, I couldn't," he hissed. "Eight _years_, Sarah, and you look like _you_. I may have some issues with touching people but I'd have to be dead not to... you know," his gaze flicked to the kitchen where Clara was sitting on the counter, watching Ellie as she cooked.

"Hey, I haven't exactly been out on the dating scene these past several years either," she countered.

"Well, then, you know exactly what I'm talking about," he said, still trying to defend his actions.

"Yes, I do. But look at it this way: by the end there, I think we cured you of this aversion of yours and all it took was a broken kitchen table, a defiled couch and a few rug burns. All in all, I think we came out on top... or at least, you did," she said, grinning.

"Would you please quit doing that," Chuck insisted. "And, again, sorry about the table... I guess I got a little carried away."

"I know. My backside still has the bruises to prove it," Chuck winced. "Don't worry, Chuck. They're the kind of bruises I don't mind getting." She chuckled. "Anyway, you put them there and you're the only one who's going to be seeing that particular area, so who cares?"

"I'm still getting you a new table."

"If you must," she acquiesced, "but I get to pick it out."

"I can live with that."

"Now, about my offer?"

"I'll think about it," Chuck proposed. "If I do this though, I'm taking the spare room... for now."

"That's fine."

"And I'll start paying rent as soon as I can."

"Chuck, I own the house," she shook her head. "And, even if I didn't, I'm the CFO of a fairly successful company, I'm okay in the money department," she assured him.

"I don't want to be a burden on you, Sarah. I'd like to contribute something."

"Oh, you'll definitely be contributing," she said suggestively, running a hand over the inside of his thigh, then instantly moving to poke him in the chest, "but you're not paying rent."

"Yes, I am."

"No, you're not."

"_Yes_, I—" He was interrupted by a knock on the door. He muttered and got up to answer. "Oh. Hey, Casey. Come in."

Casey walked in, spotted Sarah sitting on the couch and smirked. "Walker."

"Casey," she greeted, confused at the weird look on his face.

"So... had any good talks lately?" Chuck elbowed him in the side. "Oomph!"

"What's going on?" She said looking between Chuck and Casey.

"Your boy toy here told me about you getting your head shrunk," Casey couldn't keep the smirk off his face. "Let me guess, daddy issues?"

"Sarah—"

"It's fine, Chuck. It's okay," she told him. "Yeah, Casey. I did get some therapy. And, you know what? I did have daddy issues to work out," she looked casually at him. "It was a very enlightening experience. You should try it sometime; you might resolve an issue or two of your own."

"Fat chance." He saw he wasn't going to get the rise out of her he was hoping for, so he let it drop. He turned to Chuck. "Thought you should know, since you're probably going to bug me about it anyway, I called her and we talked about some things."

"Okay." Chuck joined Sarah on the couch.

"She's flying out some time during the week. We're going to spend some time together and see how things go," he finished.

"Ilsa's coming?" Sarah joined in.

Casey raised an eyebrow at Chuck. "Geez, Bartowski, can't you keep your mouth shut about anything?"

"Sorry, Casey but I promised her, no lies, no secrets," Chuck shrugged.

"Not when it comes to my business," he replied.

"Relax, Casey. I think what Chuck did for you is sweet and I would have helped if he'd told me earlier," she said taking hold of Chuck's arm.

He grunted. "You two deserve each other," he said putting on an expression of distaste.

Ellie walked in from the kitchen with Clara in her arms. "I thought I heard you. Are you staying for dinner?" She looked over at Casey.

"Uh, I don't want to impose," he answered.

"No imposition. I made plenty."

"I guess I'm staying, then."

"Okay." Ellie put Clara down. "Go wake up daddy. Tell him it's time for dinner." Clara nodded and raced off to Devon and Ellie's room.

**-0-**

_Woodcomb Residence_

_August 28, 2016_

_8:30 pm_

They were half-way done with dinner when there was a knock at the door.

Ellie looked over at Chuck. That wasn't Morgan's usual knock. "Were you expecting someone?"

"No," he said putting down his fork. "But I'll go get it." Chuck stood and walked to the door. A smile came over his face when he saw who it was. "Dad! You're here," he exclaimed. He turned slightly and looked at the woman he hadn't seen in over twenty years. "Hey, mom," he greeted her in a more subdued manner.

The others heard Chuck's outburst and looked at each other, surprised by the arrival. Ellie, not having heard Chuck greet their second guest, got up and headed to the door. "Hey, da—" She stopped in her tracks when she saw who was standing in her doorway. She was older and looked worn, but it was definitely her mother. Ellie's mind was reeling; she didn't know how to react. She'd never expected to see her mother again. Devon came to join her; he was holding Clara in his left arm.

"May we come in?" His dad spoke up.

Chuck took in Ellie's demeanor and answered hesitantly, "Uh... sure, yeah. Of course, come in." He stood to the side and allowed them to enter.

"Mister Bartowski, welcome back," Devon greeted him. He then looked over to his companion. "Devon Woodcomb, nice t—" Ellie's hand suddenly pulling him back before he could offer a handshake caused Devon to stop talking. "Ellie?"

"Don't," she warned him, looking straight at her mother and father. Devon took a step back, ending up standing slightly behind his wife, completely confused by her behavior.

"What is she doing here?" She spoke coldly.

"Ellie, can you please—" Her dad started before he was interrupted.

"I asked you a question, dad."

Chuck decided to intervene. "Ellie, will you just—"

"Shut up, Chuck," she chastised him. Chuck did as he was told. "Well... I'm waiting."

"I'll tell you, but can we please sit down?" Her father asked hopefully. "It was a long flight, we're kind of tired."

Ellie crossed her arms, and gestured to the couch with her head.

Sarah and Casey had come over to see what was going on. As the others headed to the living room, she walked over to Chuck. "This seems like a family thing, I think it's time for Casey and me to leave."

Chuck looked over to Casey and then back to Sarah. "No, it's okay. You can stay."

"Are you sure?"

"I'd just end up telling you later anyway." He smiled and put his hands on her shoulder to assure her. "And I've kind of been meddling in Casey's family affairs; I think it's only fair."

Casey smirked. This looked like it was going to be good. "I'll just go grab a couple of chairs." It was obvious he wasn't planning on going anywhere.

Mary and Stephen Bartowski took a seat on the couch and sat quietly, waiting for a sign they could begin.

Ellie turned to Devon. "Can you please take Clara and put her to bed?"

Devon looked at her dubiously. "Are you sure?" He asked, sparing a glance at the people sitting on his couch.

"It'll be fine. I'll join you in a little bit," she replied. Devon nodded and turned to leave.

**-0-**

_Woodcomb Residence_

_August 28, 2016_

_10:02 pm_

"Go on," Ellie prodded, having heard the story of her mom and dad's relationship. Chuck had joined his parents on the couch. Ellie sat in a chair in front of them. Casey and Sarah sat to the side, next to Chuck's end of the couch.

"It took her three months, but she managed to complete her mission," her dad continued, he'd been doing the talking as Mary just stared at the floor. "Then everything went to hell. Your mom didn't know this, but Volkoff kept the layout of his entire network stored on a computer. Whoever had that, had control of Volkoff Industries. His lieutenants began killing each other off for control and started hunting your mother. They thought she had taken the computer with her. The CIA got word and labeled your mother a traitor, they assumed she had turned. They wouldn't listen to me." He reached over and took her hand in his. Ellie took in the gesture. "So I took matters into my hands. I joined your mother. We went on the hunt for that computer. When we found it, we took apart the entire network, including the guys after your mom."

"But it was too late by then," Mary spoke for the first time. "I couldn't return home because the CIA was after me for treason and your dad couldn't come back to you and Chuck because now they were after him too, for his research."

"I told her I'd find a way to clear her name and we would go home together."

"Then we found out what happened with Chuck and decided he needed to find a way to help, so he came back."

"It took a lot longer than I thought but with Chuck running and everything that happened after, I finally saw the opening I needed to bring your mom back."

"Your father is an amazing man, Eleanor," Mary remarked. "He promised me he'd bring me home and now he has."

"I see," Ellie replied evenly. "Well, I'm glad you two are still so taken with one another," she smiled sweetly, "because you definitely deserve each other," she added bitterly.

"Ellie!"

"No, Chuck," she stopped him harshly. "You don't get to defend them. Not after what they did."

"Eleanor, please," her father implored.

She glared in response.

"Eleanor, calm down."

"_You_ don't tell me what to do," she bit back at Mary.

"_I_ am your mother and I can tell you whatever the hell I like!"

"You stopped being my mother the moment you chose your job over your children," she spit out. "Did you ever think of quitting and leaving that life behind? How about when you couldn't come back? Did it ever occur to you to tell dad to grab us and come join you? Of taking us and just disappearing so no one could find us?"

"It wasn't that simple."

"Yes, it was!" Ellie argued. "You two simply chose to keep playing your little spy games instead of taking care of the family you were responsible for!"

"Don't you dare talk to me that way in my house!"

"What house? You can't possibly mean this one," Ellie fired back. "This stopped being your house when I had to sell it to keep food on the table for Chuck and me. Not to mention clothes, doctor's bills and everything else I shouldn't have had to be responsible for!" Mary had nothing to say to that. "My husband and I bought this house, it belongs to us. We decide who we welcome in and who we don't." She took a breath to calm herself. "Now, I'm going to go check on my daughter. When I come back, I expect to see you gone, both of you," she said, looking at her parents.

"Ellie, you can't be serious," Chuck worked in.

"I will put up with those two because I think they can help you," she said looking over to Casey and Sarah, who were now looking uncomfortable in their seats. "But I want nothing to do with _them_. We didn't need them then, and I sure as hell don't need them now," she gazed unwaveringly into Chuck's eyes. "I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I will tell you I don't want them in this house." She turned and walked away, leaving behind a group of uncomfortable people unsure of what to do.

"Listen, guys," Chuck spoke to his parents. "I'm sure she'll come around eventually, but this is her home. I have to respect her wishes... I'm sorry," he said apologetically.

"It's okay, Charles," Stephen sighed as he stood and offered his hand to his wife. "She has every right to feel that way."

"I don't know about that," Mary muttered.

"Look, mom," Chuck instantly turned on her, "I forgave you because I'm part of your twisted world and I can see why you did what you did. After all, I left her behind too," he said. "But Ellie lives in the normal everyday world, where what you did is unforgivable. So understand this: she raised me, she was there for me when no one else was, she was the only family I had for a long time. Show her the respect she deserves or we're going to have a problem," Chuck finished deadly serious.

Mary saw the intensity in Chuck's eyes and only managed to nod her agreement because the shame she was feeling wouldn't let her say anything more.

Stephen put a hand on her back and gently directed her to the door. "We're going to check into a hotel. I'll talk to you tomorrow, son," he said crestfallen, realizing that everything that had been said to and about his wife held true for him.

"Good night, dad, mom," Chuck bade as the front door closed.

Casey crossed his right leg over his left, leaned back in his chair, and scratched a hand through his hair a couple of times. "Damn, Chuck. Your family is all kinds of screwed up," he opined offhandedly. Chuck blinked dumbly at that, then burst into a fit of laughter, followed by Casey and Sarah.

"Oh... man," he tried to catch his breath as he moved to the couch. "There is something seriously wrong with us."

"I've officially spent too much time around you... I think the stupid is sticking," Casey replied, trying to compose himself too.

"My therapist says it's good to be able to laugh at yourself," Sarah offered. Chuck and Casey looked at Sarah then each other and burst out laughing again. "He he," she mocked. "Shut up."

"I'm sorry, Sarah... I'm not laughing at you," Chuck managed to choke out.

"I am," Casey pointed out between fits of laughter, which caused Chuck to laugh harder.

"I'd hurt both of you if it wasn't for the fact that I'm actually the well-adjusted one in this room." She shook off their laughter.

"Ouch." Chuck put a hand over his chest.

Casey grunted. "It's been fun but I've got to go," he said as he checked the time and got up. "Tell your sister thank you for dinner." Chuck nodded.

"Good night, Casey." Sarah moved to sit next to Chuck.

Once he was gone, Sarah turned to Chuck. "I think I should get going too," she said. "It's kind of late and I work tomorrow."

"Okay," Chuck took a moment before he went on. "I'll do it."

"Do what?"

"I'll move in with you."

"What? Why?" She quickly clarified. "Not that I don't want you to, but what happened to it's too soon?"

Chuck let out a long breath. "You saw what happened with Ellie and my parents," he started. "I'm planning on starting a company with my dad. I'm going to be in constant contact with him and that means mom too. Ellie wants nothing to do with them," he shook his head. "It's just not a good idea for me to stay here anymore."

"This is a big decision, Chuck. I don't want you rushing into it just because it's easier and then regretting it later."

He brought up a hand and caressed her cheek with his thumb. "I won't. Forget about my family's problems for a moment. Sarah, this is our chance. This is what I wanted for the longest time. You'd better believe I'm going to try my hardest to not mess it up."

She smiled warmly. "You know what this means don't you?"

Chuck grinned wide. "Oh, I think I remember." He waggled his eyebrows.

Sarah laughed. "Sorry, Chuck. Not what I was talking about."

"What, then?"

"You're definitely going to talk to the therapist now," she explained.

"Oh, come on," he whined.

"You said you'd try your hardest," she reminded. "Were you lying?"

His shoulders slumped. "No..."

"Then you're doing it."

"Fine," he reluctantly agreed.

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_**Author's Note:**_ I'm trying for a chapter of _Spirits_ and a chapter of _Regenesis_ this weekend, we'll see.


	13. Chapter 13: Complications

_**Author's Note:**_ It finally rained in L.A., I can't even remember the last time it did, but it was a welcome change, at least by me. I gave yet another speech yesterday and now that that's out of the way I finally had the chance to write this chapter. Here you go:

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Complications

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_August 30, 2016_

_11:13 pm_

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" Sarah asked one last time. She caressed the now empty side of her bed invitingly.

Chuck pulled his boxers back on and scooted in next to her. "Not yet," he replied, "but how about I stay until you fall asleep?"

Sarah spooned into him, brought his arm around, and placed it securely around her waist. With her back now to him, she said, "I suppose it'll do for now but that's not going to fly for long, Chuck."

"I'll keep that in mind."

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_August 31, 2016_

_1:30 am_

Chuck was now sleeping in his room after having spent an hour with Sarah in his arms. She'd fallen asleep after the first ten minutes but laying there with her was something he'd wanted for a long time so he was determined to let himself enjoy it for a while. It was a curious situation Chuck found himself in. On one hand, every feeling he'd once had for Sarah was coming back stronger with every passing day they spent together. The last few days had been great when it came to their relationship. On the other hand, despite their recent forays into behavior modifying activities, the feelings of intimacy their closeness evoked in him were a source of discomfort for him. Chuck decided he was going to push through the discomfort until he didn't have to fake otherwise anymore; until then, Sarah didn't need to know. It would only hurt her, just as it would hurt Ellie if she knew. After another hour of trying to work through some of his problems, he finally gave in to sleep. If nothing else, at least the nightmares were becoming less frequent now.

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_August 31, 2016_

_2:30 am_

The front door easily drifted half-way open with one small push. Carina put her key back into her purse and closed the door quietly behind her. She knew this house so well by now she had no problem navigating her way to the stairs in the darkness. She was exhausted and couldn't wait for her head to hit the pillow. That last assignment was a real pain in the ass. She was getting too old for that crap. Luckily, she'd picked out the bed, sheets, and pillows for the spare room; she knew she was in for a great night's sleep. So enticed was her sleep-deprived mind by the prospect that she didn't take note of the body already occupying the bed as she entered the room. She let out a moan of anticipation as she approached the bed and then let herself fall onto it. She hit something solid as she landed and the next thing she knew, she was on her back and a pair of hands was around her throat choking the life out of her.

"Sa—Sar—Walker!" She tried to cry out but it came only as a harsh whisper. She saw the body on top of her and struggled to get the hands off her throat. Carina was desperate as she felt the life and consciousness draining out of her. She shot out her arm and started to feel around for anything she could use. Her hand landed on the small lamp beside the bed. She grabbed it and smashed it into the side of her attacker. The hands loosened their hold and she pushed her attacker off of her and onto the floor. She went on the offensive, fully intending on making her attacker pay.

Chuck hit the floor and woke from his sleep just in time to feel the first punch connect with the side of his face. The Intersect engaged, for the first time as far as Chuck knew, and he started grappling with his attacker. He quickly overpowered the much smaller intruder.

Carina once again found herself under her attacker and saw his hand coil back for a punch she was certain she couldn't dodge when the lights suddenly came on.

"Stop!" Two heads snapped toward the entrance to the room, where Sarah stood, looking aghast. "Chuck, get off her!"

Chuck drew his brow together in confusion, "Her?" He looked down at his opponent. "Carina?" His eyes widened in horror as recognition set in. "Oh my god." Chuck shuffled backward and didn't stop until he hit the wall. "What the hell is going on?" He asked in a panicked voice.

"That's what I want to know!" Carina shouted hoarsely. "Why the hell were you just trying to kill me!"

"I— I wasn't— I'm not—" Chuck stopped talking, instead choosing to shake his head in bewilderment.

Sarah walked over and knelt next to Carina. She checked her over to assess the damage. "You'll be fine," she informed her. "Now, can you tell me what was going on in here?"

"That crazy bastard tried to kill me." She glared at Chuck. "What's he doing here anyway? I thought he was on the run?"

"No, not anymore," Sarah corrected. "And, he actually lives here now."

"What!"

"Look, I'll explain everything," Sarah assured. "Can you just please tell me what happened, exactly?"

"I just finished a job and came to visit," Carina started. "I let myself in like always, but I was too tired to let you know I was here. I just headed to bed," she explained. "I came in here to get some sleep and next thing I know beanpole over there is choking me." She glared at Chuck once again.

"I'm sorry... she surprised me," Chuck tried to explain. He looked at Sarah, hoping for her to remember and understand.

She nodded and turned back to Carina. "You and I need to have a talk," she told her. "Chuck?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you please head downstairs and make some coffee? We'll be down in a little bit."

Chuck got up from the floor and headed to the door. As he reached it, he turned back and apologized once more. "I'm sorry, Carina. I didn't mean to hurt you." Then he headed out the door.

"Sarah, what the hell is going on here?" Carina started. "That's not the Chuck I remember."

"It's a long story," Sarah sighed out.

"Well," she said as she massaged her aching throat," I think I've earned the right to hear it, and lucky me, I've got the time."

"Let's sit on the bed," Sarah responded in resignation. "There's a lot to talk about."

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_August 31, 2016_

_3:45 am_

"My god, Sarah." Carina spoke in disbelief as soon as Sarah finished talking. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Look, I know it's complicated and unusual but I want this," she responded. "Carina, can you just please leave it alone?"

"That man is dangerous," Carina argued. "And after everything he put you through, how can you just be okay with all of it?"

Sarah sighed exasperated. "First, I'm not _just_ _okay_ with anything; we're working through our issues," she began. "Second, he's not dangerous, he's traumatized and he needs help," she continued. "Why do you think he was in here in the first place? He said he didn't want to sleep near me until he was sure he wouldn't hurt me. I thought he was making excuses but I was obviously wrong." She cast a look at the red marks on Carina's throat.

"You don't say," Carina remarked sarcastically.

"I'm sorry you got hurt, it won't happen again," Sarah assured. "Can you please just let it go and be happy for me?"

"I'll let it go... for you," Carina conceded. "But don't expect me to be friendly with him."

"Can you at least be civilized around him?"

"I supposed I can try," she acquiesced.

"That's all I ask." Sarah started to get up. "Come on, let's go downstairs."

"Do you mind if I skip the coffee?" Carina asked, still sitting on the bed. "I'm exhausted and I really need some sleep."

"Oh... sure. You know where the clean sheets are." Carina nodded. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yep. Goodnight, Sarah," she said as she walked over towards the closet.

"Goodnight."

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_August 31, 2016_

_3:55 am_

"Hey," Chuck gave her a small smile. He was sitting at the table clutching a cup of coffee, looking downcast.

"Hi." She smiled comfortingly.

"Where's Carina?"

"She was tired and wanted to get some sleep." He nodded in acceptance. Sarah came around to sit next to him and put her hands on top of his.

"I'm sorry about attacking her," he started. "I— the Intersect must have taken over while I was asleep."

"I know and I explained to Carina it was an accident," Sarah responded. "But now do you see why you have to talk to someone?"

"I talk to you," Chuck offered.

"And I appreciate that you do, but I can't give you the kind of help I know Doctor Rosen can," Sarah countered. "He's much more qualified than I am." Chuck sighed. "You _will_ go to your appointment, won't you?" He nodded. "Good. Now, I'm tired. Let's go to bed."

Chuck's head snapped to look at Sarah. "What?"

"I need to get some more sleep," she replied. "Let's go to bed." She started pulling him up.

"Sarah, no," He said, shaking his head. "You saw what I almost did to Carina. I can't..."

"Chuck, you're coming with me and that's that," she commanded firmly. "I need to keep an eye on you... and I can assure you, you're not going to hurt me."

He tried to pull out of her grasp. "You can't be sure of that," he contested.

"Yes, I can," she affirmed. "Now, I'm sleeping wherever you are. What'll it be, my comfortable bed or that couch with barely enough room for one?" Chuck saw the determined look on Sarah and sighed in resignation. "Good choice. Let's go."

As they walked past the guest room, Sarah knocked on the door. "Carina, you awake?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I need to borrow your handcuffs," Sarah called through the door.

"What handcuffs?" Came the innocent response from within the room.

"Hand them over, Carina," she prodded.

A few moments later the door opened and Carina deposited the cuffs in Sarah's hand. She looked at Sarah mockingly after seeing the smug look on her face.

"Don't worry, I'll give them back," Sarah assured her.

"You'd better." She cast a glare towards Chuck then closed the door.

Chuck ignored the glare and instead he looked at Sarah with an inquiring expression.

"What? I told you you weren't going to hurt me," she said simply and pulled him toward her room.

**-0-**

_Dr. James Rosen's office_

_August 31, 2016_

_11:30 am_

Chuck sat outside Dr. Rosen's office waiting anxiously for his session to begin. He rubbed his palms against his thighs trying to drive some of the moisture from them. He didn't want to be here in the least, but he'd told Sarah he'd try.

The door to the doctor's office opened and a man looking to be in his mid-fifties, with half-graying hair stepped through. "Mister Bartowski?"

"Yes," Chuck stood and greeted him with a handshake.

"Please, come in, sit" the doctor offered. Chuck did as the doctor asked. "So, what would you like me to call you?"

"Chuck is fine."

"Chuck," the doctor parroted and nodded. "Okay, Chuck, let's get started."

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_**Author's Note:**_ I'm going to be working on the next _Regenesis_ update but will probably post the next chapter of _Looking_ _Glass_ first because there's only two left to go in that one.


	14. Chapter 14: Schooled

_**Author's Note:**_ I said I would work on some more _Recalled_ and here it is. I don't know if I'll meet my goal but I'm sure as hell going to try. The good news either way is that next chapter is the end of the second arc. That means that, with this chapter done, the bulk of the drama is out of the way. This is not going to become a fluff-fest of a story all of a sudden but I think it's time Chuck and Sarah finally got to be happy together and cemented their relationship. Enjoy the drama while it lasts:

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Schooled

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_August 31, 2016_

_1:45 pm_

Chuck walked into the house happy to be, well, home he supposed. Not that he felt any familiarity there yet but it was better than being stuck in a room, talking to some shrink. _"Tell me what's bothering you"_... like he was about to trust some stranger with any personal details. Did that guy seriously think that would work? How had he gotten Sarah to open up? There was no way she would've fallen for that.

That entire hour had been a waste of time. There was no way he was going back, lucky for him, he had only promised to go to that one session. He would just work through his issues by himself. He looked up after removing the key from the lock to spot Carina sitting on the couch staring warily at him; she'd muted the television it seemed.

"Hey there, Chucky," she greeted dryly.

Just what he needed: another person with a bone to pick. "Carina, hi," he returned the greeting in a friendly manner. "How are you doing?"

"Oh, you know, pain in the throat from almost dying, other than that... I'm good," she answered snidely.

Chuck sighed in defeat. "Carina, I can't tell you how—"

"Save it," she cut in. "I told Sarah I'd be civil and I intend to do just that." She narrowed her eyes the slightest bit. "But let me make one thing clear: I don't like you," she stated unyieldingly.

Chuck's brow rose in surprise at the declaration. What the hell had he ever done to Carina? Well, besides trying to kill her in his sleep? He was about to speak when she started up again.

"You destroyed Sarah," she said. "She almost died and that is _your_ fault."

"Hey, hold—"

"Shut up, sit down, and just listen," she commanded.

Great, more talking. He shook his head, but did as he was told and took a seat.

"I'm only going to tell you this once because I am her friend and I care about her," Carina started. "And for some reason I can't see, she cares about _you_."

"I care about her too," he managed to interject before Carina cut him off again.

"Really? Well you sure have a funny way of showing it," she retorted. "And I thought I told you to shut up and listen," she rebuked. "Sarah told me what happened."

Chuck looked on and kept quiet.

"She was going to throw away her career for you and you abandoned her." Her steely gaze didn't waver as she looked straight at him judgingly.

"Hey, that's not exactly what happened," he refuted.

"It is if Sarah says it is," Carina challenged and waited, daring him to protest.

Chuck knew he wasn't going to win that one, he kept his mouth shut.

"And even then, she still threw away her career, and damn near her life, for you."

"Oh, come on," Chuck exclaimed, disbelievingly.

"Everything she did after you ran she did only to try to get to you before the government did," she told him. "She didn't care about the job anymore and because of that she stepped on a lot of toes trying to find you," she spoke reproachfully. "Whatever happened that caused her accident, it only happened because she was so focused on you she wasn't looking out for herself. If it wasn't for Casey stepping in, the government would have left her to die in a ditch somewhere." The disdain Carina was feeling for Chuck was hard to miss.

"Casey? He didn't tell me anything about—"

"This is Casey we're talking about here; do you honestly think he'd say anything?" She looked at Chuck incredulously. "He didn't even tell Sarah."

"Then how do you know?"

"_Someone_ had to be there for her," she remarked critically. "Casey's many things but a caregiver, he's not. He called me and told me what was going on." Her tone started to change with her next words. "Did she tell you how bad it got for her?"

Chuck shook his head with a blank expression on his face. "She said she was almost paralyzed but she didn't want to tell me any more than that."

"Well, let me," the redhead offered sullenly. "She could barely hold her head up in those early days, never mind trying to move the rest of her body," she started. "I had to feed her, change her, clean her," she looked upon him unwaveringly. "If I hadn't been there to help her, she would have died."

"Don't be ridiculous," Chuck retorted. "I'm sure she would've been fine at a hospital."

"Hospital?" She shook her head in rejection of the idea. "Do you know what it's like for someone as strong and independent as Sarah was to lose everything that made her her? To become what she did?" She asked heatedly. "There was no way she would have ever let anyone see her like that. Trust me when I say she would rather have died. She tried to fight me on it but there wasn't really much she could do."

Carina sniffled and Chuck noticed that her eyes were becoming red. He'd known Sarah well enough to know that what Carina was saying wasn't much of an exaggeration. Maybe it was the fog of time but the more he thought about it, the more he could see the old Sarah doing that. The new Sarah, however, she was stronger and more open. She would have no trouble accepting help. The thought that he was now the closed off one was depressing and it was only made worse by Carina's next words.

"But you know what?" She smiled at the memory. "She came around. She started to fight to get better. _That_ was the Sarah I knew," she exclaimed. "She went to rehab and she worked like hell to get to where she is now."

Chuck couldn't help but smile at Sarah's determination. On seeing him smile, Carina's own disappeared.

"Of course, then, she had to go overboard," she continued flatly. "She started going to that damn shrink of hers, saying she needed to _work out her issues_ and talking about being _normal_." She looked at Chuck accusingly. "She never admitted it but I know she only did that for you."

Damn... of course she did. Chuck tried to keep an impassive expression but he was kicking himself internally. How could he seriously refuse to talk to Rosen after having heard what Carina had to say? He didn't have a leg to stand on. Sarah went through hell for him, she put herself way outside her comfort zone, she became more than she was for him, and now that it was his turn there was no way he could give any less. Stupid Doctor Rosen had to go and fix Sarah...

"You know what?" Carina interrupted his thoughts. "There was nothing wrong with Sarah before, she was fun!" She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm kind of getting pissed off right now." She stood up and went to grab her purse. "I'm going out before I decide to kick your ass," she exclaimed when she came back into the room. "If Sarah asks, tell her I went to look for someone fun to do." She slammed the door shut as she left.

Chuck fell back onto the couch sighing. Looking up at the ceiling he knew had a lot to think about. He had to talk to the doctor, that was a given, he just needed to figure out how he was going to start.

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_August 31, 2016_

_7:00 pm_

Sarah came home to find Chuck sitting on the couch, watching TV.

"Hey, how was your day?" Chuck spoke up.

"A little surprising, actually," she replied.

"Why? What happened?"

"Your sister called me," Sarah responded as she put her briefcase down on the coffee table. She leaned in to kiss a surprised Chuck.

"What? What did she want?" Chuck quickly asked.

Sarah laid her head on his lap and settled the rest of her body on the couch. She started to watch whatever was on TV as she answered. "Well, your birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks." She sighed as she found a more comfortable position. "She wanted to know if it would be okay to have a party here."

"I don't want a party," Chuck replied as he caressed her arm.

"Yeah, I figured as much but you know Ellie."

He nodded. "I guess some things haven't changed much."

"She knows your parents will probably be there and since she doesn't want them at her house..."

"Ah... now it makes sense."

"I told her it was fine," Sarah conveyed. "I don't want her disliking me any more than she already does."

"At least she's talking to you," Chuck comforted. "I hope she gets over this thing with my parents soon because it's getting ridiculous."

"Give her time," Sarah counseled. "It's a lot to work through."

"I know," Chuck conceded. He then decided that a change of topic was in order. "So... about dinner..."

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_**Author's Note:**_ I don't want to jinx myself... so I won't say anything other than see you next chapter.


	15. Chapter 15: Thirty Five

_**Author's Note: **_I apologize for the delay with this chapter. For unforeseen reasons, things just didn't work out the way I had planned. It has taken me this long to find the time to get some writing done. I've neglected this chapter but now I've finally finished writing it. Well, this is the end of the second arc, as I said last chapter. That means we're five chapters away from the end of this story, hope you guys are still interested. For now, here's chapter 15:

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Thirty-Five

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_September 18, 2016_

_6:45 am_

The day had arrived: September 18, the occasion of his thirty-fifth birthday. Chuck awoke to the smell of bacon wafting throughout the room. Sarah had cooked breakfast.

"Good morning," Sarah greeted him brightly.

"Good morning." Chuck nodded to the tray of food. "What's with this?"

"It's your birthday," she replied. "Breakfast in bed seemed like the thing to do."

Chuck smiled at her. "Thank you, Sarah."

She grinned. "Don't get used to it."

"But you're such a great cook," he protested in jest as he moved over. "Sit," he told her and patted the empty space next to him.

Sarah came to lie next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. Chuck took a forkful of food and brought it up to her mouth. "Come on, open up," he urged her.

"That's supposed to be _your_ breakfast," she reminded him.

"And I want to share it with you, so eat up."

They ate the plate of food in silent companionship and it dawned on Chuck that he hadn't felt this comfortable with someone else in many years. It brought a smile to his face realizing that maybe he wasn't as lost a cause as he had thought.

Sarah noticed his smile. "What?" She asked him, curious as to what he was thinking.

"Well... it _is_ my birthday," he started, "and you've already brought me breakfast in bed..."

"Uh-huh..."

"What are my chances of getting birthday sex here?" He waggled his eyebrows. "Because, I'm telling you, it would help me out a lot in getting through that stupid party."

"Well... since you put it that way," Sarah began to nibble on his earlobe. Chuck shut his eyes to enjoy the sensation... until he felt Sarah pat him on the cheek and laugh. "Maybe later."

"What?" Chuck's eyes flew open. "Oh, come on!" He objected.

"Sorry, Chuck," she said as she sauntered off. "No time, gotta get to work." She stopped at the edge of the door. "But... if you behave yourself at the party tonight, you just might get rewarded after," she enticed right before exiting the room.

"I'll hold you to that!" He shouted at the empty doorway.

In that empty room, Chuck had time to reflect; it was glaringly clear that he wasn't where his college-aged self had imagined he'd be at that point in his life. Of course, compared to where he had spent his last seven birthdays, he couldn't complain.

Chuck had been home for almost a month and things were moving in a positive direction, albeit slowly. He and his dad had finally gotten around to starting their business and his relationship with Sarah had progressed farther in that month that it had in the first year and a half he knew her.

There was still his mom, his sister, the talks with the doctor... but that could wait; for now, he'd take the win where he could. He cradled the back of his head with his interlocked hands, leaned back onto the pillow, and stared at the ceiling with a smile on his face. For a couple of minutes, he allowed himself to revel in the feeling of contentment. It gave him hope that he _could_ get back to having a sense of normalcy about him.

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_September 18, 2016_

_5:50 pm_

"Hi, Ellie." Chuck opened the door to find Ellie with a cake in her arms and Clara at her side. "Hi, Clara." He smiled at his little niece.

She smiled back. "Hi, Uncle Chuck. Happy birthday!"

He was about to bend down to pick her up when Ellie pushed her way through. "No time, Chuck," she called out over her shoulder. "Go help out Devon with the rest of the bags; we have a party to get ready for."

Chuck gave a little apologetic shrug. When he saw Clara pout, he assured her, "We'll play later, okay?"

Clara nodded and went chasing after her mom. Chuck straightened back up and walked towards the minivan where Devon was about to unload bags of groceries and party supplies.

"Hey, Devon, need a little help?"

Devon looked back at his brother-in-law. "Birthday Boy! Hey!"

"I turn thirty-five today, Devon. I'm not exactly a boy anymore," Chuck offered.

"Come on, Chuck! It's how you feel inside that counts," Devon replied, cheerily.

"In that case, what does it make me if I feel like I've been run over by a train... multiple times?"

"Ouch! Everything okay, Chuck?" Devon inquired. "You and Sarah doing alright?"

Chuck sighed. "Actually, Sarah and I are finally in a good place," he answered. "Carina sort of opened my eyes when she was here a couple of weeks ago."

Devon's brow rose. "She did? Uh... didn't you try to... you know," Devon mimicked a choking motion with his hands.

"Yeah," Chuck admitted regretfully. "Luckily, she cares about Sarah a lot more than she dislikes me. She told me some things I needed to hear."

Devon nodded. "Well, I guess that's good then," he added. "But, if it's not Sarah, then what's bothering you?"

"Being back," he started. "It's a lot harder than I thought it would be to re-adjust."

Devon nodded sympathetically but he honestly couldn't relate to what Chuck was going through.

"It's been hard to figure out exactly where, how, or if I even fit in here anymore."

Devon looked at him incredulously. "Chuck, come on, of course you fit in! Here, with your family."

"Thanks, Devon," Chuck smiled weakly. "What I meant is, I knew I changed in the time I was away but it never crossed my mind that everyone else had changed too." He started to unload the bags from the car. "I've had to remind myself a couple of times that I'm not talking to the same people from eight years ago; it just makes the changes I've gone through that much more obvious."

"Look, Chuck," Devon said as he started to grab some bags too, "We don't think you've changed all that much. It's mostly that thing in your head," he nodded. "So stop worrying about it and just enjoy your party." Devon smiled encouragingly.

"You're right," Chuck smiled back, "I guess I'm just blowing things out of proportion."

"There you go! It's really not a big deal."

He didn't like lying to Ellie or Devon but it was times like these that told Chuck he was doing the right thing. There was no way for them to understand and he didn't want to burden them anyway. It was better this way; besides, he had Sarah and she was all he needed.

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_September 18, 2016_

_8:10 pm_

There was a knock at the door. For a moment, Chuck wondered why no one ever bothered to use the doorbell, but it was a fleeting thought. "Ilsa! It's good to see you again," Chuck greeted her warmly, "and without the whole bullets flying all around us thing, too."

"Hello, Charles" she smiled, "I'm glad to see you made it home safely, happy birthday." Ilsa handed Chuck a gift-wrapped box.

"Thank you."

"Hey, moron, I'm here too, you know," Casey interjected from beside Ilsa.

"John, that was rude," Ilsa reprimanded. "Apologize."

"What?"

"John..."

"Sorry."

"Not me, him." She nodded towards Chuck, who was visibly enjoying the exchange.

"Sorry, Bartowski," Casey reluctantly offered.

"It's cool," Chuck replied. "Please come in and make yourselves at home." As they began to walk by, Chuck spoke again with a wide smile on his face, "Hey Casey, didn't you say something about pants recently?"

Casey growled softly and spoke out of the side of his mouth. "Keep it up, moron."

"What was that, John?"

"Nothing," he quickly turned his attention to Ilsa, "just saying that I can't wait to see his mother and sister again... they _are_ both going to be here, right, Chuck?"

The smile left Chuck's face instantly. "Yeah... right."

Casey smirked triumphantly, he won that round.

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_September 18, 2016_

_8:20 pm_

"Okay, that's mom and dad," Chuck turned to look at Ellie. "Can you please just try to be civil tonight?"

Ellie was tightlipped but finally spoke. "It's your day, Chuck" she started, "if you want them here, I promise I won't say anything to them that will ruin your party." She then added, "As a matter of fact, I won't say anything to them at all."

Chuck sighed in defeat but went to answer the door.

"Mom, dad, hi."

"Hello, Charles." His dad greeted him with a hug.

"Happy birthday, Chuck." His mom handed him a gift with a small smile.

Chuck's relationship with his mom wasn't as bad as Ellie's but there were abandonment issues to be worked out between them. Still, he was sure they could get past them. "Well, come on in, everyone's mostly here."

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_September 18, 2016_

_8:35 pm_

"Chuck, buddy! Happy birthday, man!" Morgan went in for a hug as soon as Chuck opened the door.

"Thanks, Morgan." They had gotten off with a rough reunion but things had settled down between them. They just had to learn how to be best friends again after so many years. "And, you must be the awesome wife he keeps talking about," Chuck said as he turned to the pretty brunette standing beside Morgan.

"Awesome, huh?" She responded as she turned to Morgan with a smile.

"Well..." Morgan shrugged and blushed under the watchful eye of his wife.

She leaned in for a kiss as Chuck chuckled at his friend.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Chuck offered his hand.

"I can't believe that I'm actually meeting _you_," she responded. "Up until about a month ago, I thought you were dead."

"Yeah... case of mistaken identity... long story," Chuck deflected.

"Well I, for one, am glad you're back," she shook his hand. "I know how hard it was for Morgan to lose his best friend."

Trying to ease the somber mood that was slowly creeping into him, Morgan spoke. "Well, you're here now, it's your birthday, so let's party!" He raised the bottle of champagne he was holding in his hand and made his way into the room. "Hey, everybody! Time to party!"

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_September 18, 2016_

_11:00 pm_

Everyone had taken off, it was just Chuck and Sarah left sitting in the living room. Sarah cuddled up to him and rested her head on his shoulder. Chuck, in turn, rested his head on top of hers.

"So did you have fun?"

"It was okay," he answered. "I still would've preferred just the two of us doing something," he admitted.

"I never thought I'd say this, but thank god for Morgan."

Chuck let out a soft chuckle. "I know what you mean... for once, his antics actually worked in my favor."

"Your mom and sister didn't even get the chance to fight, the way he kept talking and telling stories about you guys."

"Yeah... I think Casey was a little disappointed."

"I'm sure he'll get over it." Sarah smiled.

"I suppose it was a good night even though it wasn't just the two of us," Chuck remarked.

"The night's not over yet, Chuck." Sarah started to get up off the couch. "You know, Carina got me my own pair of cuffs," she said seductively as she walked away.

Chuck looked up confused. "But I haven't needed— oh... _oh_... oh!" Chuck scrambled off the couch and raced after Sarah.

The cleaning up could wait for a night.

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

_**Author's Note: **_Hopefully, more is coming sooner rather than later. Also, no, you didn't miss anything; I didn't give Morgan's wife a name. Why? 'Cause it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of this story.


	16. Chapter 16: Halloween

_**Author's Note:**_ Here we are, the first of the last five chapters in this story. I was able to post it up in time for Halloween so I'm happy about that. There's a change in tone for the story from here on in. I hope it's not too hard to pick up on it. It isn't candy but I hope you find this chapter to be a bit of a treat, nonetheless. Happy Halloween, everybody:

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

Halloween

_Encino, California_

_October 31, 2016_

_5:00 pm_

It seemed like a typical Fall day in the San Fernando Valley. The sun was still shining brightly; there was a slight chill in the air. It was here, with the sidewalks lined with trees, that Chuck could see the oranges and yellows that signified a change in season. After spending years traveling to places where the shift was markedly obvious, the subtle changes in the Los Angeles weather was a welcome change of pace. After the time he spent in Russia he was sick of snow and the cold. Damn near getting frostbite could have that effect on a person, he supposed.

Today, however, was a special day. In a few short hours, the streets would be busy with kids, in all sorts of costumes, going door to door, trick-or-treating. Today was Halloween, something he hadn't celebrated in eight years. Not only that, but today was the first time he would get to go along as his niece partook in the tradition he so loved as a kid.

Chuck had been back for a little over two months and, for the first time in that period, he was actually finally feeling good. He was feeling normal, like his old self. There were still things he needed to work out but not having to run, starting a business with his dad, and just being with Sarah out in the open had proven to be really good for him. More than that, his sessions with Doctor Rosen had been a bigger help than he had initially thought, so much so that he had started seeing him twice a week. Of course, that all started after the third or fourth visit when he finally relented and started to open up about his demons, his fears, and his hopes for his future.

Now, Chuck found himself driving to Ellie's where Sarah would meet him and they would accompany Ellie and Devon as they took Clara trick-or-treating around the neighborhood.

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_October 31, 2016_

_6:30 am_

"So, you'll meet me there?"

"Yes, Chuck," Sarah assured him as she rinsed off her breakfast dish. "Are you sure you want me there, though? I mean, is your sister okay with me being there?" She questioned. "This seems like a family thing and I _know_ she doesn't think of me as family."

"Trust me, Sarah," Chuck said as he wrapped his arms around her. "She'll come around, she's really trying." He smiled as he looked her in the eyes. "In fact, it was her idea for you to come along," he added.

"Really?" Skepticism laced Sarah's voice.

"Yes, really," he replied. "I thought it was a bit odd, too but, hey, a win's a win, right?"

"I guess," Sarah conceded. "I really would like to be her friend again."

"I know," Chuck responded softly as he offered a sympathetic smile. "I'll see you at five-thirty?"

Sarah nodded in agreement. "See you then."

They shared a kiss before Sarah left for work and Chuck went to get ready. He would spend a few hours working with his dad and then head over to Ellie's.

**-0-**

_Woodcomb Residence_

_October 31, 2016_

_5:05 pm_

Chuck pulled up to the house and headed for the door. He was greeted by an excited Clara bouncing up and down in her Han Solo outfit, much to Chuck's surprise.

"Uncle Chuck! Uncle Chuck!" she greeted him. "Where's your costume?" She inquired after noticing his lack of attire.

"I didn't get one."

She looked at him confused. "Then how are you going to get candy?"

"Uh... I'm not getting candy," he answered hesitantly. "I'm coming to keep your mom and dad company."

"They're wearing costumes too!" She informed him instantly.

Ellie came to the door at that moment wearing her old hospital scrubs. Chuck raised an eyebrow. "You didn't tell me anything about dressing up," Chuck started.

"It's just something we do," she shrugged. "You don't have to."

"Yes he does!" Clara protested.

"Sorry, sweetheart, I don't have anything to wear," Chuck said apologetically.

"But you have to!" Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes.

Chuck looked imploringly at Ellie.

"I have some of your stuff stored; we might be able to find something there," she said, hoping to calm Clara.

"Hear that?" Chuck asked. Clara nodded in return.

As they moved into the house, Chuck leaned in close to Ellie. "What's with the costume?" He asked and nodded towards Clara.

Ellie rolled her eyes. "She found your old DVDs," she said, shaking her head. "Last year she was Luke. Apparently, your love of _Star_ _Wars_ runs in the family." Then she added, "Morgan's influence didn't help either."

Chuck smirked. He was actually kind of proud of his niece's nerdy ways.

**-0-**

They walked into Ellie's bedroom. Chuck and Clara sat on the bed while Ellie dug in the back of her closet. A few moments later she pulled out a box with some of Chuck's old clothes in it. "Here." She handed the box to Chuck. "You can probably find something in there." She extended her hand towards Clara. "Come on, honey, let's give your Uncle some privacy," she told her. "We'll be in the kitchen," she informed Chuck before they made their way out.

Chuck nodded and turned his attention to the box. As he looked through the box, memories began to surface of his old life. A smile or two came to him but, in the end, everything in that box belonged to another life. There was nothing in there that he wanted back.

A final smile came to his face. At the bottom of the box he found a couple of things that would work.

**-0-**

A few minutes later Chuck walked into the kitchen wearing his old Nerd Herd uniform.

"What do you think?" He asked with raised arms.

"You look funny, Uncle Chuck," Clara giggled.

"I guess you put on some weight," Ellie added with a grin.

"Hey, I'll have you know that's muscle," Chuck replied with mock affront. "And, these probably shrunk."

"Uh-huh."

"Whatever," Chuck gave up. "When's Devon getting here?"

**-0-**

_Woodcomb Residence_

_October 31, 2016_

_5:36 pm_

Chuck, Ellie, and Clara were in the kitchen decorating some sugar cookies when the front door opened.

"Hey, look who I found outside," called out Devon. He had Sarah in tow.

"Daddy!" Clara jumped down from her stool and raced into his arms. "Look!" she said pointing at Chuck. "Doesn't Uncle Chuck look funny?"

Devon took a look at Chuck, then spoke. "Wow, now there's a sight I haven't seen in a long time."

"It's my Halloween costume," Chuck shrugged.

Sarah stepped around Devon and looked Chuck up and down. She, unlike everyone else, liked what she saw. "Why are you wearing your old uniform?"

"Because Ellie forgot to tell me costumes were mandatory and this was all I could come up with." Chuck gestured towards his outfit with his hands.

"Where's _your_ costume, Aunt Sarah?" Clara asked, looking at her.

Chuck cringed at hearing Clara address Sarah that way. He didn't even want to imagine what Ellie's reaction would be.

Sarah stood frozen in place, along with Devon.

For her part, Ellie's grip on the frosting dispenser only tightened for a second. That didn't help the third of the icing that came bursting through onto the counter but it was definitely an improvement as far as reactions went.

"Well?" Clara prodded.

"Oh... uh," Sarah started, snapping out of her cautious state, "Chuck do you have an extra one of those?" She asked pointing to his short-sleeved white shirt.

"Yeah, in the room," he directed with his head.

Sarah turned to look at Clara. "I'm going to change into it right now." She smiled warmly at her.

"Ellie?" Chuck looked over at his sister.

"Go ahead," she responded while cleaning off the counter. "Devon can change after."

**-0-**

Once in the room, Sarah quickly closed the door. "Did you tell her to say that?" She asked pointing back towards the living room.

"What? No!" Chuck exclaimed. "Even I'm not that dumb," he assured. "But she's not wrong, you know."

"What?"

"I'm her uncle, we're together, it's only natural for her to call you her aunt," he explained. "In fact, we get married and that's exactly who you'll be."

"When that happens," she started, "Clara can call me Aunt Sarah all she wants but, until then, I don't want Ellie ripping my head off!" she whispered harshly.

"Are _you_ going to tell that little girl she can't call you Aunt?" Sarah growled at his emotional blackmail. "I guess you're stuck, then." He grinned.

"Shut up." She took off her suit jacket and began unbuttoning her blouse. "Hand me the shirt." She reached out for the cotton shirt Chuck took out of the box.

Sarah buttoned up the middle three buttons and tied the shirt off in a knot at the bottom. She took a spare black tie and knotted it loose around her neck. She hiked up her black skirt, and undid her pony tail, ruffling out her hair. "So... how do I look?"

Chuck's eyes were bugging out of their sockets. "Uh..." His eyes flicked to the bed for a split second.

"_Really_?" Sarah asked in disbelief. "In your _sister's_ bed?"

"What? No!—_Well_—I mean, no!" He shook his head quickly. "Of course not!"

"Damn right," she glared. "I don't need to give her any more reason to hate me." She leaned in and whispered in his ear. "_You_... can wait 'til we get home." Chuck nodded obediently. "And, thank you."

**-0-**

_Woodcomb Residence_

_October 31, 2016_

_5:56 pm_

Chuck and Sarah walked back out into the living room.

"Wow!" Clara exclaimed. "You look very pretty, Aunt Sarah."

"What!" Chuck spoke up. "How come she gets pretty and I get funny?"

Clara shrugged. "Because... _she_ looks pretty and _you_ look funny," she declared. "But, look! You match!"

"Yes, we do, don't we?" Sarah smiled brightly at her. "Thank you for the compliment, sweetie."

"You're welcome, Aunt Sarah."

"Devon, go get changed," Ellie broke through the repartee, which made Sarah remember the situation she was in.

**-0-**

_October 31, 2016_

_7:00 pm_

Things had gotten a bit awkward earlier on but Clara, unaware of the tension between the two women, kept up her enthusiasm for the day and quickly diffused the situation. Now the two couples were walking around the neighborhood, along with the other families and their kids.

Chuck and Sarah were hanging back a bit, away from Ellie and Devon.

Chuck wistfully looked around at all the families, his sister's included, with a sad smile on his face. Clara was having so much fun collecting her bounty of sweets as her parents looked on, proud of their energetic daughter. He couldn't help the longing that grew inside. No matter what had happened in his life, Chuck Bartowski was still a family man at heart and occasions such as this only served to remind him of what he was missing.

Sarah was well aware of what Chuck was thinking, she was thinking it herself.

"Chuck?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine... just thinking," he answered.

"About having kids?" She asked tentatively.

"Sarah—"

"It's okay, you can say it," she encouraged.

He sighed. They had to talk about things like this. "Yes, but I don't want you to freak out," he replied. "I do want children, Sarah; but believe me, I'm not going to push you into anything you're not ready for."

"Thank you for that," she offered, "but this is something you can't push me into." Chuck looked at her questioningly. "You can't push me to do something I already want to do," she elaborated.

"What exactly are you saying?"

"You are going to have kids, Chuck," she assured. "When and how many, well, we can discuss that whenever you want."

Chuck put his arm around her and brought her in close. There was a knot forming in his throat. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered. "I love you, Sarah. I'm so sorry it's taken this long for me to tell you."

"I love you, too, Chuck." Sarah wrapped her arms around his midsection and held on tight, head against his chest.

It was a big step, for both of them, and it couldn't feel more right.

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

_**Author's Note:**_ Because there's only four chapters left and because they're themed, I've decided I'm going to focus on finishing this one off. If it works out like I'm planning, this one should be completed by the end of next week at the latest. Oddly enough, I'm sadder than I thought I'd be now that it's coming to a close. Writing this story has been a very rewarding experience. It's turned out to be much more than I ever imagined in the beginning and I've enjoyed talking with you guys about how it's playing out. Of course, I still have _Regenesis_ in the works and that's what I'm going to focus on next, along with _Intersect_ _Wars_. See you next chapter.


	17. Chapter 17: Thanksgiving

_**Author's Note:**_ Hey look! Finally some forward movement with this story! Sorry about the long delay. Stuff happened. Anyway, at this point there are only three chapters left to go. That's weird to think about, considering the actual show is also coming to an end soon. Here, at last, is chapter 17:

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

Thanksgiving

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_November 24, 2016_

_9:36 pm_

What was he thankful for? Mainly, for the fact that they got through Thanksgiving dinner without some kind of blowout happening. Ellie and his mom had been courteous enough with each other. Maybe they were turning a corner... well, one could dream. But, considering Ellie and Sarah's breakthrough earlier in the day, it didn't seems as out of the question as before. Chuck opened the fridge door and then started putting away the leftovers.

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_November 24, 2016_

_4:00 pm_

It was another holiday, and yet another family dinner that they were going to be hosting. Sarah wanted to make things easier for Chuck and his family, namely Ellie and Mary, so she once again volunteered their home to be neutral territory and host dinner. Chuck honestly hoped his mom and sister would work out their issues, but he could do without having them over until they did. There was too much potential there to ruin the night. He would've been fine with it just being him and Sarah, but it was too late to do anything about it. He was in the dining room with Devon setting up, while Ellie and Sarah were in the kitchen preparing the food. That filled him with no small amount of trepidation. He didn't want Sarah to get hurt and he knew damn well his sister could be brutal when she wanted to be.

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_November 24, 2016_

_4:00 pm_

Ellie had just checked on the turkey. She turned from the oven, still debating over whether she actually wanted to have the talk or not. She felt justified in the way she had been acting but knew things had to change, for her brother's sake; maybe for her own, too. There were too many bad feelings going around and it was making her a person she didn't want to be. After all, it was Chuck that had actually gone through everything and he seemed to be moving past it all. Swallowing her pride wasn't going to be easy, but she had to try. "Hey, Sarah?"

Sarah looked up from the counter where she was peeling potatoes. "Yeah?"

"I think it's about time we had a little talk," Ellie said firmly.

Sarah put the peeler down. Ellie hadn't done anything overtly hostile towards her, but Sarah knew there was no love lost there. She was justifiably apprehensive about having any kind of talk with Ellie; it might end up wrecking things with Chuck. "About what?" She asked in her most nonchalant tone.

"You and me," Ellie responded flatly.

Sarah's eyebrows rose in surprise of Ellie's answer. "I—uh..." She didn't know what to make of it.

"You don't have to say anything, just listen," Ellie directed. Sarah did the only thing she could think of: she nodded. "Chuck has been hung up on you for the last nine years and it doesn't look like that's going to change anytime soon." Sarah said nothing. "I've seen the changes that he's gone through since he's been back and I have to admit that it's thanks to you."

"Chuck has worked hard to get to where he is," Sarah quickly remarked.

"That's nice of you to say," Ellie replied, "but I know my brother, he's a stubborn jackass when it comes to talking about what's bothering him." Sarah was ready to protest. "Uh-uh!" Ellie raised a hand. "Don't argue with me, just listen. This next part is going to be hard enough as it is." Sarah relented. "You two seem to be building something real here and before everything happened, I did... like you." Ellie regarded Sarah for a moment but, for once, the other woman didn't dare interrupt. "I can't pretend to be able to just forget what you did... but... I _am_ willing to leave all that in the past."

"What?" Sarah asked softly.

"I'm willing to start over with you, from the beginning," Ellie said. "I'm not promising anything, I don't know how long it will take, but... maybe... we can be friends again at some point."

Sarah stared blankly at Ellie for a couple of seconds before darting out of the room.

Moments after Sarah left, Chuck came into the kitchen with a questioning look on his face. "Hey, what did you do to Sarah?"

"_Me_?" Asked Ellie defensively. "I didn't do anything!"

"Then why did she run out of here sobbing?"

"She was crying?" She asked, surprised.

"Yes."

"Well, all I know is we were talking, I told her we could start over, and then she took off."

"You sure that's all?"

"Yeah," Ellie affirmed. "Are _you_ sure she was a spy? Crying doesn't seem like a very spy thing to do."

"Yes, I'm sure," Chuck replied. "But she's not a spy anymore... she's changed." He began to turn around.

"Then I could probably kick her ass now," Ellie mumbled.

Chuck stopped, mid-turn, and faced his sister again. "Ellie..." he warned.

"What?" She asked dismissively. "I said _could_ not that I would."

"Yeah... I'm going to go check on her."

"Bye."

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_November 24, 2016_

_4:10 pm_

Sarah had run to the bathroom. Chuck stood just outside the door and knocked softly. "Sarah? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine... just give me a few minutes," she responded between sniffles.

"I can hear you crying," Chuck countered. "What did my sister say to you?"

"Nothing."

"I know she said _something_," he insisted. "I'm coming in." Chuck opened the door and walked in to find Sarah sitting on the toilet with a tissue in her hand. "Sarah?"

"It's nothing, honestly," she insisted.

He took a knee in front of her. "Come on, talk to me." Chuck waited for her to say something but she kept silent.

Just as he was about to get up, Sarah spoke. "She said we could maybe be friends again."

"What?"

"Ellie," Sarah sniffled, "she said she wanted to talk."

"Okay."

"She told me we could leave everything in the past and start over," she added. "Then she said that maybe we could be friends again at some point."

"And... _that's_ why you're crying?" Chuck was a little confused.

"Chuck..." she looked him right in the eyes, "she's successful and she has a family and they're happy..." she said in quick succession, "and she was the closest thing I had to a real friend, until she started to hate me."

"What about Carina?"

"I love Carina, but it's not the same, she doesn't understand," Sarah replied. "She's who I used to be, Ellie's who I _want_ to be."

"Um... okay."

Sarah could see Chuck didn't quite understand. "Look," she started, "just know that Ellie's friendship means a lot to me, I can learn from her," she told him. "I thought she would hate me forever but now I know I have a chance to be her friend again. It was just a little overwhelming."

"So... that makes you... happy?"

"Yes." She offered a smile.

"Well, in that case, I guess I'm happy for you?"

"Yes... and thank you." Sarah stood up, pulling Chuck up with her. "Go back out there; I'll be out in a minute."

"Okay." Chuck caressed her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

He kissed her softly before walking out and closing the door behind him.

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_November 24, 2016_

_6:11 pm_

Everyone was now seated at the table. Ellie brought the turkey from the kitchen and set it down in the center.

"That looks delicious," Stephen complimented.

Ellie gave a disingenuous smile in return.

Devon decided it was best if he stepped in. "Okay! Time to eat." He clapped his hands together. "Honey, ready to carve the turkey?" He handed her the carving knife.

"Actually," Ellie replied, "Sarah, why don't you do the honors?"

Everyone's heads snapped to Ellie, who had a small smile on her face.

"Really?" Sarah asked.

"_Seriously_?" Chuck asked.

Casey choked on his vodka.

"Yes, you worked just as hard as I did... and, this _is_ your house," she added.

Stephen and Mary shared a begrudging look with each other.

Morgan was oblivious to the whole thing, making faces at Clara the entire time.

His wife and Ilsa picked up on things but decided it was none of their business.

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_November 24, 2016_

_9:36 pm_

The rest of the dinner had gone well. Chuck and Sarah were putting away the leftovers and clearing the table.

Sarah was humming as she put the dishes in the dishwasher.

"What's with you?"

"Huh?" She looked back at Chuck who had just closed the fridge. "Nothing... I just felt like humming."

"You're really happy about this Ellie thing, aren't you?"

"Maybe." She grinned.

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

_**Author's Note:**_ I have three weeks before school starts up again. We'll see what I can get done in that time.


	18. Chapter 18: Christmas

_**Author's Note:**_ Hey, look! Another update! Given this week's episode, it seemed appropriate to post it now. While the episode did have its problems and it went absolutely nowhere, it was _fun_. And, after the last couple of weeks, that's saying something. Fun for _me_, I should clarify. This is my favorite episode of the season. My favorite line, also of the season, comes courtesy of Sarah: "Everything... it's all wrong."(in context, of course.) Now, then, here goes chapter 18:

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

Christmas

_John Casey's Apartment_

_November 25, 2007_

_9:00 am_

"Do you ever just want to have a normal life? Have a family? Children?" No matter how much she might deny it at the top of her lungs to anyone who would listen, there was no getting around the fact that Sarah Walker was compromised. She knew it, and she had just all but admitted as much to her partner. The kiss at the docks drove the final nail into place on the coffin of her professional detachment when it came to Chuck Bartowski. He made her want, more and more, what others took for granted, and that was dangerous in her line of work; especially when the one she'd fallen for was at the mercy of her superiors, superiors who were only keeping him around for as long as he was useful. And she knew, damn well, that even that much wasn't a guarantee at times. Maybe if she put a stop to this thing between her and Chuck she could protect herself; maybe it would hurt less when they inevitably took him away from her; or maybe, if she _just_ held on long enough... maybe...

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_December 25, 2016_

_7:00 am_

Sarah was up bright and early. The anticipation of the day had her full of nervous energy. Part of her wanted to let Chuck sleep in a while longer, no one would be getting there until 10 after all, but she just couldn't take it anymore. She'd been waiting for weeks, and the wait was killing her. She'd already been up cooking breakfast for her guests and now there was nothing else left to do to distract her. After standing outside their bedroom for several minutes, she finally decided to go in.

Sarah quietly opened the door and walked in, making her way to her dresser. She gently opened up the top drawer and reached for the back. When she withdrew her hand, it was closed around a thin rectangular box, wrapped in red with a bow on top. It was one of Chuck's presents: the one she had been the most anxious to give him, and the one she knew would mean the most to him. They hadn't actually gotten around to talking about the details yet but she figured this was as good a start as any.

She couldn't wait to see his reaction.

She closed the drawer and walked over to the bed, stopping a couple of feet short for what she was about to do. Chuck had come a long way in a short time, but not far enough. She knew better than to abruptly wake a sleeping Intersect and risk startling him. If she was going to do this, and she _was_, then she had to do it right.

"Chuck?" She called out softly. He gave no indication that he'd heard her.

"Chuck, honey," she called out a little louder. Chuck barely shifted in bed.

Her fingers were tapping away at the box impatiently: she couldn't wait much longer. "Hey, Chuck!" Her voice was just shy of being a shout.

"Five more minutes," Chuck managed to mumble out before he turned and, once again, was lying on his back, completely asleep.

Sarah rolled her eyes and reached down for one of her slippers. Apparently, she was going to have to do it the hard way. She re-adjusted her grip on the slipper, launched it at Chuck's face, and stepped back another foot. It hit him right on his right cheek.

That did the trick. Chuck immediately startled awake and started scanning the room, ready to take on whatever had attacked him. What he found was Sarah standing a few feet from the side of the bed. "Sarah?" He asked confused.

"Good morning?" She responded sheepishly. She knew the slipper thing was petty, but it was his fault for not waking up like she wanted him to.

"What's going on?" He asked as he yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Well..."

Chuck noticed the slipper resting on the bed. He then looked to Sarah and saw that she was wearing only one of her slippers. "Wait, did you just hit me with your slipper?" He asked, perplexed.

"Well... yes, but I had a good reason," she quickly defended.

"What is it? Is anything wrong?"

"No," Sarah came closer. "I just wanted to give you your present."

"My present?" Chuck looked at the gift-wrapped box in her hand and took it. "What time is it?"

"A little after seven," she answered.

"Aren't we supposed to be doing that with the rest of the family later?" He asked as he brought his legs over the side of the bed and sat up.

"This one is special," Sarah replied. "I wanted you to open it before anyone else got here."

"Well," he said as he began to unwrap the box, "come sit down."

Sarah took a seat next to him and waited eagerly as he opened the box. She watched intently for his reaction.

Chuck put aside the top of the box and peered inside. He saw a thin piece of paper with some sort of image printed on it. He blinked. What was he supposed to say? He had no idea what to make of it. He took the piece of paper in his hand and placed the box next to its top. "Uh... thank you?"

"That's _it_?" Sarah could not believe that was the way Chuck was reacting. "That's all you have to say?"

"I'm sorry. It's just—what is it?" Chuck shifted in the bed to look at her.

"Are you serious?" She couldn't believe his question.

Chuck nodded dumbly.

How did he not know? Sarah sighed, resigned to the fact that she would have to explain and the whole thing was ruined. "Chuck," she started, "that's a printout of an ultrasound," he knew what _those_ were, "mine," Sarah finished.

"You mean..." he spoke slowly, "are you telling me you're..." his eyes deliberately dropped to her stomach and moved back up to meet her gaze again.

She nodded slowly in confirmation.

In an explosion of motion, Chuck threw his arms around Sarah, almost jumping to his feet, and began spinning her around. "I'm going to be a father?" He laughed as he spun her. "I'm going to be a father!"

Sarah couldn't help but be overjoyed at his reaction; that was more like it, she thought.

Suddenly, Chuck stopped spinning and gently put her down. "What's wrong, Chuck?"

He looked at the printout of the ultrasound again. "Are you sure they didn't screw up?" He asked. "I can't see anything here."

She grinned at his question, she hadn't been able to see anything either at first, not until the doctor showed her. "No, they didn't screw up." She took the printout from him and pointed. "Here," she said. "That's the baby."

Chuck's brow rose in surprise. "_That's_ the baby?"

"Yeah."

"That little peanut-looking thing?" Sarah punched him in the arm. "Ow!"

"Don't call the baby peanut-looking," she reprimanded, "but, yes, that's it."

"Wow," Chuck breathed out in awe. That was a baby; that was _his_ baby, and it was growing inside Sarah. He looked to Sarah, the mother of his child, and saw her in a completely new light. "I love you," he said; and before she could reply, he took her in a heated kiss and backed them up towards the bed.

They fell back onto it and clothes started flying off.

That was a much better reaction from Chuck, Sarah thought, as she reveled in the things he was doing to her.

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_December 25, 2016_

_9:45 am_

"They're going to be here in a little bit, you know," Sarah said as she cuddled up tighter against Chuck.

"Yeah," he sighed, "I know. Right now, I'm kinda wishing we hadn't invited them over."

"It's only for a little while," she offered.

"I'm going to put on some coffee for them," Chuck said as he got up and started to get dressed. "You stay here and rest. I'll come get you when they get here."

Well, she _was_ feeling worn out, Chuck had seen to that. "Okay."

He leaned in for a kiss before he turned to walk out. "Hey, Sarah?" He called back from just inside the room.

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind if we don't tell them yet?" He asked. "It's just, I want it to be _our_ thing for a little while, you know?"

"Chuck, it _is_ our thing," she replied.

"Sarah, you know as well as I do that once Ellie finds out, it's going to become _her_ thing," he remarked.

Sarah hadn't been in any position for Ellie to care about anything she did in a long time; she hadn't considered the woman's reaction to the news. "I forgot about that," she admitted. "Okay, for now, we won't tell anybody."

Chuck smiled graciously. "Thank you," he replied and walked out.

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_December 25, 2016_

_10:00 pm_

"Hey, buddy?"

"Chuck, what's up, man?" Morgan answered the call cheerily.

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

"It's my day off," Morgan replied.

"How about you and I hang out?" Chuck suggested. "There's something I need your help with..."

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

_**Author's Note:**_ I'll say this: Chuck as a husband? _Wow_... seriously. And, obviously, there was something wrong with Sarah, where did _that_ go in the episode? Did everyone forget she has _two_ doctors as in-laws? How about maybe getting her checked out by one of them? Whatever. The final arc of the series begins next week. The nostalgia is already working its magic. Maybe it will put a positive spin on things as the show comes to a close; I don't know, we'll see.


	19. Chapter 19: Redemption

_**Author's Note:**_ I'm writing this A/N right after watching vs. Bo, and I honestly feel like crying right now... either that or banging my head against my desk repeatedly. Tonight's episode represents everything I hate and love about this show. After nine episodes of crap, they bust this one out. This is the kind of episode they should've been delivering all along. Every episode prior to this served absolutely no purpose and could've been completely done away with, with just some minor tweaking (e.g. Morgansect). Quinn as the final villain? His character makes so much sense to me, it's ridiculous. I clicked with him as soon as he delivered his back-story. Who better to close the story out with than the guy the Intersect was originally meant for? Am I saying they're going to do him justice? No. I know better. I'm just saying he has the makings of a proper villain, like Volkoff, before they Agent X'ed him. Looking to next week's promo, and what I've read of the last two episodes, I have a strong feeling that I'm going to be wishing I'd never watched S5 when it's all said and done, but today? Today I'm happy with what they delivered.

Sorry about my rambling. I just had to get that out. Not since Ring II have I been this excited after watching a _Chuck_ episode; that's just sad, when I think about it. It's even sadder when I think about what came after Ring II, and know full well Fedak's probably going to pull something similar. Anyway, here's chapter 19:

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

Redemption

_December 28, 2016_

_4:45 pm_

It had taken three days and visits to thirty-six different stores, but he'd finally found the right one. Of course, when he'd discovered how much the "right one" actually cost, he forgot how to breathe and almost asphyxiated right there and then; or, at least, that's how it played out in Chuck's mind. In reality, his eyes widened in shock and he nodded dumbly, all he could say was, "I see."

Morgan had a coughing fit right beside him. "Wow... that's...yeah..."

The sales-clerk looked from man to man, confused by their reactions.

No one could accuse either of them of being familiar with buying jewelry; most of their money had been spent on games, comics, and movie memorabilia. It was foreign territory for both of them. Morgan's wife had picked out her own ring, and she'd been gracious enough to keep the cost relatively low.

The imaging and GPS software Chuck and his dad had developed was selling well... but not that well. They had just started their business, after all. He was sure he could hear his wallet crying over the hit it was about to take.

But it was worth it.

Sarah was worth it.

It would be tricky for a couple of months but he figured with the security software they were rolling out early in the new year, he would be able to pay it off quickly; which was a good thing because, soon, he'd have a wedding to pay for.

"I'll take it," he proclaimed with a smile on his face.

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_December 31, 2016_

_11:59 pm_

Ellie and Devon were hosting a New Year's party at their place for all their friends. Chuck and Sarah decided that's not where they wanted to be for the occasion, it was time for the two of them to have a private celebration after all the family time they had logged recently. They couldn't think of any place they'd rather be than home, _their_ home, to start the new year.

Sarah never really had a home, not until she made one with Chuck; and Chuck hadn't had a home for eight long years. The house was nice, but it had just been a house to Sarah until _they_ made it a home, together.

It symbolized a new beginning for them, a fresh start without being weighed down by the ghosts of the past. They both knew they had hurt each other plenty of times; they didn't deny it, they didn't try to sweep it under the rug or turn a blind eye. They had talked every issue to death and, finally, they'd decided it was time to move on and let go. They couldn't change the past and there was no point in dwelling in it any longer.

When the clock struck twelve, they would be Chuck and Sarah, nothing more, nothing less; and in this new era, their family was poised to grow by one. A clear indicator of just how different things were. How they got there no longer mattered, what did matter was that they _were_ finally there.

The house was dark. The blinds were closed, the lights were off. For the next few hours the outside world didn't matter and it wouldn't intrude. Only a few burning candles scattered throughout offered any source of light. The stereo played softly in the living room while Chuck and Sarah danced, embraced in each other and swaying slowly along with the sounds. It was a new kind of intimacy for both of them, and not one they would be comfortable sharing with anyone else.

A small beep emanated from Chuck's pocket and he knew it was time.

He took Sarah gently by the chin and brought her in for a kiss. "Happy New Year," he said softly.

She smiled at him and kissed him back. "Happy New Year."

The song played on and he spun her slowly around with one hand, with the other he reached into his pocket.

**-0-**

_Walker/Bartowski Residence_

_January 1, 2017_

_12:00:10 am_

As she came out of the spin, Chuck let go of her hand and bent down on one knee. He took her left hand and effortlessly slid the ring he'd bought for her onto her ring finger. There was no need to ask the question, they both knew what the answer would be. Even an engagement was just a formality as far as Chuck was concerned.

Sarah inhaled sharply. For a moment, her sight was fixed on the ring now adorning her hand. Her hands covered her mouth and her eyes became watery as she gazed at Chuck, still on one knee. It's not that she wasn't expecting it, but expecting it and actually experiencing it were two totally different things she found out.

He looked at her patiently, waiting for her to say something. Giving her the time she needed.

She offered her left hand, and when he took it, she pulled him to his feet. She placed her hands on the sides of his face and kissed him lovingly.

His hands rested on her hips and, for a moment, after the kiss broke, they just gazed at each other without a word exchanged but their feelings rendered perfectly clear.

"It's beautiful, Chuck," Sarah finally spoke. "Thank you."

"I'm glad you like it," he said, smiling.

"I love it." She grinned wide.

Good thing, Chuck thought. Considering what it cost, it would have really sucked if she didn't like it.

Sarah took him by the hand and guided him along. "Come on, Chuck," she said, "I'm going to show you just how much I love it."

Chuck readily complied, happily following after Sarah and blowing out the candles as he went.

**-0-**

_Los Angeles Courthouse_

_February 14, 2017_

_10:00 am_

"You look beautiful," Chuck said, sparing a glance at her now visible bump.

"You won't be saying that when I'm looking like I'm ready to pop," she responded wryly.

"Trust me, you couldn't be more wrong," he offered a smile.

"Yeah... we'll see."

"Okay!" Chuck clapped his hands together. "Are you ready for this?"

"As ready as I'm ever going to be," Sarah replied. "Did you ever think we'd find ourselves here when we first met?"

Chuck shrugged. "I can honestly say this is one thing that never crossed my mind back then."

"Hey, morons!" A gruff voice called from behind them. "I'm right here, you know."

They both turned to look at their old partner, the groom-to-be. "Sorry, Casey, but you have to admit this is not exactly what comes to mind when you think _John_ _Casey_," reasoned Sarah.

"I know I still get flashes sometimes of the guy that would've easily killed us and then gone for pancakes," added Chuck.

A whimsical smirk came over Casey's face at the memory. "Yeah," he said fondly, "good times."

"You scare me sometimes," Chuck commented.

"Where's the bride?" Sarah changed the subject.

"Putting on a few finishing touches to her make-up, apparently," Casey answered.

"I never knew you could be such a romantic, Casey," Chuck piped in. "Getting married on Valentine's Day? That's a nice touch."

"Who said anything about romance?" Casey quickly dismissed the idea. "I'm killing two birds with one stone here," he remarked. "Now I won't have to celebrate an anniversary and this god-forsaken scam they call Valentine's Day separately." Casey argued. "Plus, if I forget one, I'm covered by the other."

"What happens if you forget both?" Chuck dared to ask. Casey growled in response. "_O-kay_..." Chuck put up his hands in surrender.

"Here comes Ilsa, behave," Sarah quickly cut in. "You look beautiful," Sarah remarked.

"Yes, you do," Chuck echoed the sentiment.

"Thank you, both." Ilsa turned to Casey. "Are you ready?"

Casey grunted in assent.

"Great!" Chuck said as he stepped up to open the door to the courtroom where Casey and Ilsa would be married. Both women walked in ahead of the guys. Chuck patted Casey on the shoulder. "Let's go get you married... _Sugar_ _Bear_," he added with a goofy grin on his face. Casey growled at the use of the nickname and raised his hands, ready to retaliate, before Chuck stopped him. "Uh-uh-uh," he taunted, "you're about to get married, remember? What would the missus think?"

"John?" Ilsa called from inside the room.

He looked over at her. "Coming," he answered before turning back to face Chuck. "You're going to pay for that one, Bartowski," he growled out.

Oh, Chuck knew he was going to pay; somehow Casey would find a way to get him back, probably through Sarah, but it was worth it. So he just smirked and gestured with his hand for Casey to lead the way.

Mrs. John Casey, he thought as he looked at the couple standing before the judge, now _that_ is something.

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

_**Author's Note:**_ This being chapter 19 means there is only one chapter left in this story and we're done. And, I know I played the Sarah gets Intersected card too, but at least I skipped over all the angsty crap.


	20. Chapter 20: Recalled to Life

_**Author's Note:**_ Well, here we are: the end of _Chuck: Recalled to Life_. This started out as a simple one-shot at a time when I was blocked with another story and the idea for chapter 1 popped into my head; that original chapter took me about half an hour to write and post, it had absolutely no story beyond it. Now, here we are, twenty chapters later. It was hard at times, because of the whole having no idea where it was going thing, but this has become my favorite story to write and I'm going to miss it. I'm actually really happy with where and how I'm ending it. I do wish I had developed it more from the start but, then, I think it would have turned into a different story and I wouldn't want that. So, for the last time, here's chapter 20:

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

Recalled to Life

_Woodcomb Residence_

_January 6, 2017_

_8:15 pm_

"Congrats, man," Devon offered happily.

"Yeah, Chuck," Ellie agreed, albeit more subdued, "that's great for you guys." Her smile, though small, was genuine when she looked over to Sarah.

They had managed to avoid Ellie and Devon for almost a week, but they finally realized it was a losing proposition trying to avoid them any longer. There just weren't any excuses left: it was time. So they had accepted the invitation to Friday night dinner and agreed to tell the Woodcombs about the engagement.

Chuck and Sarah had hoped to wait until after dinner to drop the news, but Ellie's ever-sharp eye had caught the shine of the diamond on Sarah's hand as soon as she'd answered the door.

So, there they stood, on Ellie's door, being congratulated on their impending nuptials.

"Thank you, guys," Sarah responded for both of them. "We're really excited," she said with a wide smile.

Well, at least that was over with, thought Chuck.

"We have to celebrate this properly," Devon said enthusiastically. "Be right back. I'm grabbing us a bottle of wine."

Chuck and Sarah exchanged a quick, uneasy glance between them; it wasn't quick enough.

Ellie caught it and stared at them inquiringly. "What was that?" She asked. "Is something wrong?" Devon turned back and waited for a response alongside his wife.

They hadn't planned on telling them this part of the news just yet. How the hell had they overlooked something as simple as alcohol consumption in front of other people? Of course Devon would want to celebrate; he was practically a walking high-five. And, when did his sister get so observant? Chuck and Sarah looked at each other, wordlessly debating their options.

Devon looked on expectantly while Ellie raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

Finally, Sarah gave in and nodded. They'd had a couple of weeks and this was always going to come out sooner or later. Now was as good a time as any to break the news to her future in-laws. Chuck dipped his head, acquiescing to Sarah's decision. They both turned to face Ellie and Devon. "Okay, guys," Sarah had a small, bashful smile on her face as Chuck started, "Sarah—"

Before he could finish, Ellie's eyes went wide and she gasped, immediately clasping a hand over her mouth.

Chuck and Sarah's faces contorted in confusion as they looked at each other. He shrugged slightly at the question he guessed would be on Sarah's mind. They shifted their attention back to Ellie. "What?" He asked his sister.

"She's pregnant!" Ellie exclaimed unable to control herself.

"How did you...?"

That was all the confirmation Devon needed from Chuck. "Dude, that's awesome!" He boisterously voiced his opinion as he went in for a congratulatory hug.

It had been a long time since Chuck or Sarah had heard that particular phrase.

Before she could do anything to stop herself, Ellie threw her arms around Sarah and engulfed her in the mother of all hugs. "Oh my god, Sarah!"

For her part, Sarah went rigid in place at the unexpected physical contact from the elder Bartowski. This was one reaction she did not expect from Ellie. Granted their relationship had improved over the last few weeks, but she had no idea they were at the "hugging" stage yet. Apparently, someone forgot to tell that to Ellie. After the initial shock wore off, Sarah tentatively hugged Ellie back.

Ellie felt Sarah's reaction and awkwardly let go and backed off, remembering they weren't exactly best friends. "Sorry," she said after clearing her throat. "I don't know what came over me," she offered lamely.

Chuck smirked knowingly at Sarah. "Told you," he simply stated. Sarah mockingly mimicked his facial expression.

**-0-**

_Westside Medical Center_

_August_ _21, 2017_

_3:15 am_

"Agh!" She cried out for what seemed like the millionth time. The time had come... hours before... and, for some god-forsaken reason, it kept lingering, stagnantly mocking her. If Sarah could get her hands on evolution, she would kick its ass into the next millennium for making her go through the pain of labor. She knew pain well, after all, she'd been an agent for years; she'd been tortured, shot, stabbed, blown up, but _this_... this was a whole new kind of hell. This is what natural childbirth was? Why had she ever refused the epidural! She should have listened to Ellie. But nobody messed with Sarah Walker, not even biology. She was going to get through this on her own, and she was going to make childbirth her bitch...

"Honey!" Chuck managed to groan out. "Honey... you're kind of crushing my hand here," he said pleadingly.

She growled in response and held on tighter. "_You_ did this to me," she spat menacingly.

Chuck was sure her vice-like grip had already crushed his precious little bones but there was no way he was complaining anymore. Sarah had a crazed look in her eyes and, even with the Intersect, he was not at all confident he could take her in a fight right then.

"Okay, Sarah," the doctor raised his head to look at her, "I can see her head."

"Really?" She asked between pained breaths.

"Yes," he nodded. "You've done great. A couple more pushes and you'll finally get to meet your daughter," he assured.

Sarah found a renewed vigor and pushed as hard as she could. "Agh!"

"That's it, Sarah. Just one... more... push," the doctor urged. "That's it!" He said excitedly as the small infant came into the world. He raised her so that Sarah could see her daughter. She didn't cry but she squirmed in the doctor's hands.

"Oh my god..." After she caught a glimpse, Sarah fell back onto the bed from exhaustion.

The nurse came over with scissors and cloths to clean up the newborn. The doctor looked to Chuck, who was gently tending to his throbbing hand. "Would you like to do the honors?" He asked as he offered Chuck the scissors.

Chuck reached out with a smile and took a step, before promptly passing out. The doctor's brow rose in surprise. The nurse shrieked in concern.

"Oh... Chuck," Sarah remarked, shaking her head in disbelief.

By the time he came to, he was in a chair; his daughter had been cleaned up; her umbilical cord had been severed; and she was being wrapped in the standard hospital-issue baby blanket. "There," the nurse said. "All done." She walked around the bed and gently handed the infant to Sarah. "I'm sure you want some time with your daughter before we take her for her tests," she said with a smile.

"Thank you," Sarah replied but she wasn't looking at the nurse. She had been mesmerized by the delicate creature she now held in her arms. The love she immediately felt for her daughter was indescribable. She was a bald little thing, for the most part, with only a thin layer of brown hair adorning her head, contrasting the pinkish complexion visible everywhere else. Sarah couldn't wait for her to open her eyes so she could discover what awaited behind those closed lids.

"She's beautiful," Chuck breathed in awe as he came to stand next to the bed, peering down at his daughter.

"Yes... she is," Sarah said, even as the tears formed in her eyes and the knot formed in her throat. A short strangled laugh escaped her as she softly brushed her daughter's hair. She'd never been happier.

**-0-**

_September 30, 2017_

_3:00 pm_

It was a small ceremony. Neither of them had all that many people they wanted there for the occasion anyway. Carina had flown in the week after Sarah gave birth and hadn't gotten around to leaving. She insisted that she was only sticking around because it was too much fun watching Sarah deal with being a mom, but Sarah could tell there was a longing there, a longing she had once felt. She wasn't going to deny her friend what little normalcy she could get. Maybe she was finally ready to leave her job.

So there Carina stood, along with Devon, Ellie, Morgan, his wife, Casey, Ilsa, Mary, and Stephen. The church was small but that just made it intimate. They didn't need big and flashy.

Chuck and Sarah stood, holding hands, before the Justice of the Peace, their friends and family surrounding them. No one saw the need to sit.

"We are gathered here today to join—"

The official was cut off by Sarah. "Sorry to interrupt but can we speed things up?" She was eager to get back to her little girl who was sleeping comfortably in the arms of Carina. For all intents and purposes, they were already married at this point anyway; this was now just a technicality they had to rectify.

"Uh...sure," he replied. "Do either of you have anything you want to say?"

"One day, right, Chuck?" Sarah asked with a sparkle in her eye.

"Absolutely," he replied with conviction, as he remembered their once conversation at a certain fountain long ago. It was all they needed to say. They looked at each other with smiles on their faces.

The Justice waited for them to speak again, but nothing came. "Okay, well," he started as he looked between them. "Charles Irving Bartowski, do—"

"I do," Chuck cut him off.

He just went with it at that point; he was getting paid either way. "The ring?" Clara made her way forward and offered up the platinum band to Chuck.

Chuck took it and placed it on Sarah's finger at the Justice's nod.

"Now," he turned to Sarah, "Sarah—"

Not to be outdone, she cut him off even sooner than Chuck had when she replied, "I do."

He didn't even bother to speak; he just motioned for the other band with his hand. Sarah took it from Clara and placed it on Chuck's finger.

"Okay, that's that then," the man remarked flatly. "Husband, wife," he said with a flick of his hand to each, respectively. Chuck and Sarah stood there waiting. Then it hit him. "Oh, _now_ you want me to do my job? Fine." he huffed. "You may now kiss the bride."

Sarah grinned wide as Chuck came in for their first kiss as husband and wife, officially.

**-0-**

_Woodcomb Residence_

_October 31, 2017_

_6:55 pm_

They pulled up to Ellie's; Chuck immediately noticed his father's car parked in front of them. He sighed wearily.

"What's the matter?" Sarah, having taken note of his change in mood, asked as she removed her seatbelt.

He pointed with his finger. "My parents are here," he said.

"So?"

"So I told my dad we were coming over tonight; I didn't say they should, too," he replied with a hint of annoyance.

"It's okay, Chuck," Sarah soothed.

"No, it isn't. Ellie's probably going to go passive-aggressive on me as soon as we get in there," he argued.

"I don't see why," Sarah commented. "I mean, she's the one that invited your mom over."

Chuck nearly got whiplash from the speed at which he turned his head towards Sarah. "Wait, _what_?" The shock written clearly all throughout his face.

"Ellie invited your parents over so they could see their grand-kids all dressed up," Sarah repeated. She scrunched her brow in confusion, "She didn't tell you?"

Chuck shrugged. "We don't exactly talk about mom and dad." He thought for a second. "She told _you_?"

"Yeah, we were talking the other day," Sarah began, "she noticed how much time they're spending with their newest grand-kid and she felt she should let Clara spend time with them too, you know, so she wouldn't feel left out."

"Wow, that's big," Chuck noted.

"Yeah, she's even working on forgiving your mom and dad," Chuck's eyebrows shot up as far as they could go. "She did warn them if they ever pulled a disappearing act on Clara, they had better stay gone but they're slowly working on things."

"I didn't know any of this," Chuck said sadly. "We don't talk about these kinds of things anymore."

"I'm sure Ellie or your parents would have told you," Sarah stated.

He shook his head. "It's not just that," he said. "All I talk about with people are superficial things. I'm not who I used to be, I can't open up like I used to," he mourned.

"Chuck, you can't expect to be your old self this soon," she assuaged his worry. "Give it time."

"I'm not sure I can ever get back to who I was. I'm not sure I can ever be the man you fell in love with again."

"Then this is just who you are now," Sarah said nonchalantly. "There's nothing wrong with that. Yes, the old Sarah did fall in love with the old Chuck," she continued, "but those two made a mess of things and they hurt each other and I don't miss them at all," she argued. "The new Sarah loves the new Chuck," she put a hand on his cheek, "_I_ love _you_; you have given me a beautiful daughter, a family, and that's all that matters to me," she affirmed. Chuck smiled gratefully. "Now come on, they're expecting us," Sarah noted as she saw the front door open. Clara stood at the door in her Wookie costume, looking on expectantly.

Chuck watched as his wife removed their daughter, in her tiny Ewok costume, from her car seat: A sight he wouldn't trade for the world. Maybe Sarah was right, maybe he no longer needed to be who he had been; maybe he just needed to figure out who he was now.

He wasn't a twenty-five year old retired millionaire and he didn't own a boat; he wasn't a cheater; he wasn't a loser; he wasn't an asset; nor was he a traitor. For the first time in his life, he was exactly who he wanted to be: Chuck Bartowski, family man, and he couldn't be happier...

* * *

><p><strong>-0-<strong>

_**Author's Note:**_ So, I have now officially been on this site for a year. I've come a long way from that initial visit when I had no idea what I would find here. This has been a unique experience for me. I'm happy to say I have found some really great stories and countless hours of entertainment, along with some good, friendly people. The show's just coming to an end now but, for me, seasons 1 and 2 of _Chuck_ were something really special, something that I will probably never experience again with a TV show, and they're what have kept me writing this long. The cast and the heart the show had were great, refreshing, and captivating. Not even _Stargate_, my favorite show for the decade before _Chuck_, ever came close to the love I had for this show, and I basically grew up with _SG-1_. I _hate_ that this is the way they chose to go out, I really do. "Love letter to the fans?" _Fuck_. _You_. For ever uttering those words. But I _am_ grateful for those first two seasons, when the show was full of possibilities, and I'll always look back on them fondly.


End file.
